About us - John Alan Winery

About John Alan

The Fords are known for their love of family, friends, travel and wine. John and his wife Kimiko have traveled extensively throughout California, favoring intimate bed and breakfast inns while exploring the local wines. A degree in geology and John's love of science and soil became the foundation for his desire to learn about the history and
technology of wine making. As John and Kimiko's love of wine grew, they shared it with family and friends who became regulars on wine excursions to Northern and
Central California.

By the early 1980's John and Kimiko began dreaming of their own estate winery destination with an elegant, Tuscan style bed and breakfast inn. John's brothers, Steve and Lance, grew to share the dream. The Central Coast's beautiful landscapes were home to a rapidly growing wine region that captured the brothers' hearts.
In 1999 the Ford brothers purchased a piece of property in Templeton, California which was destined to become Moss Lane Estates and John Alan Winery. This 24 acre parcel is currently home to an 11 acre vineyard and a beautiful cut flower garden.

The Vineyard Design

Respected industry experts assisted the family in designing the vineyard to create an estate Meritage. Each of the five red Bordeaux varietals has been incorporated into the vineyard in the correct ratio to make this classic, time-honored wine. A small portion of the vineyard was also planted in Syrah and Petite Sirah. In the tradition of premium Bordeaux wine making, the most technologically advanced trellis, irrigation, row orientation and frost-control systems were used to develop a state of the art sustainable vineyard.
With the purchase of a second property a mile from Moss Lane Estates, the Fords look forward to expanding their varietal portfolio in the future. The winery facility and tasting room are under design. Breathtaking gardens and vineyards will form the backdrop for a tasting room and event center, providing an elegant experience that is worthy of the family's love for wine and friends.

Our Wine Maker

In late 2007 winemaker, Will Persall, a Cal Poly graduate, joined the team. He along with John, Lance and Steve, create our wine portfolio.

Moss Lane Estate

History and Design

It was our family's dream to design and build an estate vineyard that is capable of producing world-class Rhone and Bordeaux varietals and blends. The eleven acre vineyard at Moss Lane Estates is the fulfillment of that dream.

Since the land's purchase in 1999, every step in the vineyard's construction has been taken with the greatest care. Soil analysis and mapping revealed that the hill top estate sits in the Linne Calodo formation; a thinly bedded shallow sea deposit. Because of the changes in slope and the angle of the bedding, the soil composition varies throughout the vineyard. The high calcium and low magnesium in this rocky, limestone soil is ideal for very high quality grapes. Research has shown that the very best vineyards in the world have one thing in common; calcium to magnesium ratios of 6 to 1 or higher. The soils on the vineyard vary from 6 to 1 up to 60 to 1.

Seven different Rhone and Bordeaux red varietals matched with four different root stocks were identified as the best fit for the soil types located on the estate. Industry experts were then given the task of designing a truly state-of-the-art vineyard.

The Importance of Watering

Watering is an important factor in grape quality, so the vineyard was divided into nine irrigation blocks to allow for the specific requirements of each varietal and soil type. Also two separate lines of drip tubing were installed on each row of vines. This system, called partial root drying (PRD), allows either the right or left side of the vines to be irrigated independently. This strategy of partial zone drying allows water outputs to be reduced by 50%. A third drip line feeds a system of pulsator sprinklers used for frost control. This frost control system reduces water output by 75% compared to standard sprinkler type frost control systems.

Effective Sunlight

The vineyard was carefully analyzed to determine the most effective sunlight orientation of the rows while guarding against fruit sunburn. The Smart-Dyson trellis system was chosen for the vineyard. This trellis system maximizes the amount of sunlight on the canopy by training half of the shoots up and half the shoots down. Even though there is considerably more expense in installing and maintaining this system, it is more than justified by increased fruit quality. Because each vine receives more sunlight it's much easier to ripen the fruit during years with cooler growing seasons resulting in more consistency from year to year.

The Best Technology

Focusing the best technology available on a small plot of ideal soil, John Alan Winery has spared no expense in producing a premium boutique wine experience. Each year we concentrate the highest degree of expertise, technology, and wine-making passion into a limited production of 1,500 cases annually of John Alan
Estate wines.

John Alan Winery and future tasting room will be located at 605 Moss Lane, Templeton, CA.