SacBee: Dunne on Last Harbor Mission Del Sol

Very nice & moving article by MikeDunne in the SacBee:
Dunne:HarborMissionDelSol

on the last HarborWnry Mission del Sol, the 1986 they went entirely to DarrellCorti & was just recently bottled.

I have, of course, followed CharlieMyers and HarborWnry from the very start. Most people are not aware of Charlie's contribution to Calif wine & Zinfandel. Back in early '60's, Charlie was a home winemaker. He went up to AmadorCnty and bought some old-vine Zin grapes from KenDeaver (Sr.). Up until then, much of the ShenandoahVlly Zin grapes were being sold to home winemakers. The ancient d'AgostiniWnry was there, maybe GeneStory's wnry, but that was about it. Ken was feeding much of his grapes to his hogs, as was JohnDowning.
Charlie was a customer of Darrell's grocery/wine store and tried his Deaver Zin on Darrell. Darrell was impressed. When BobTrinchero was looking around for grapes that were cheaper than could be had in Napa, Darrell suggested he try some of KenDeaver's grapes. The SutterHome Deaver Zin '68 was legendary and the rest is history.
Charlie eventually went commercial and founded HarborWnry, down in the WestSacramento industrial bottoms on HarborBlvd, right behind Wingo&Sons Upholstery Shop. He continued to make DeaverVnyd Zin at Harbor until the '78 vintage. That year, the grapes came in very ripe, the fermentation stuck w/ a fair amount of residual sugar, and Charlie sold it off for a song as "Country Style" Zin. I think he eventually went back and bought Deaver Zin grapes again, though.
I've had all the Harbor Mission del Sols over the yrs, though haven't yet ordered the '86. Must not dwaddle.
I shared many a meal w/ Charlie over the yrs at Darrell's. He was always very good company, covering a very broad range of interesting topics.
I remember meeting Charlie's daughter, Margaret, at Darrell's store one time. Darrell introduced me as someone who builds nuclear weapons. I remember her giving me this rather shocked look as if to say "Why would somebody do something like that for a living??".
The story relates that she is closing down the HarborWnry. It's rather sad and the end of an era I treasure. Charlie is in assisted living now. I haven't seen him in probably 10 yrs. I must make the effort next time I'm out there.
More info on the Mission Del Sol in the CortiBros newsletter:
CortiFall2014Newsletter

Tom

Really nice article. I wonder if anyone in California will take up the mantle now that Charlie has moved on?

Really nice article. I wonder if anyone in California will take up the mantle now that Charlie has moved on?

Probably not, Mike. Dessert wines of that style are so out of fashion. It's pretty sad.
MikeDunne says that WestSacramento is a pretty hot area these days & he thinks some hot/young winemaker,
operating on a shoestring, might take it over. We'll see.
Just heard from Darrell that Charlie is losing his mental capacity very fast and the asst living place wants him out of there.
Plus his x-wife has Alzheimers. So Margaret is under a lot of stress. Selling the last of the wine is probably way down on her list.
It's all really very sad. I have such fond memories of Charlie and his impish grin when he'd make a clever bon mot at Darrell's table.
Tom