Hyatt/Baumbach Winery pours into history

Barbera. Aglianico. Montepulciano. These Italian grapes are the flavors of wine selections at the Hyatt/Baumbach Winery. The grapes of the same name stay true to their European roots.Co-owners Ron Hyatt and Neal Baumbach opened the winery in 1999 at the historic stone Bernhard Winery building. Hyatt/Baumbach specializes in Barbera wine. "Making the wine is just a blast," Baumbach said. "It's just an artistic adventure."Baumbach uses grapes that grow in the foothills to make Barbera and other wines. He combines his chemistry and microbiology skills to create optimum libation flavor. The fruitiness of the Barbera, along with its lighter density, helps the winery sell the 150 cases of wine that has fermented for a year. These grapes grow well in Auburn because they are hardy and have less acid in them, which means the wine will still have a strong taste after the fruit has been in glaring sun. Other grapes that are sensitive to the heat make for weak wine, Baumbach said. "The thing about Barberas, they really take the heat," Baumbach said. "They like it real well."Baumbach and Hyatt had been drinking wine for years before they decided to try to make a living selling it."We started by enjoying wine, and then we thought we could probably make wine as good and less expensive," Baumbach said.They used the Bernhard Winery in Auburn as their workshop to keep the tradition of winemaking going in the building where Bernhard crushed grapes in 1874. The building is built with local stone and dug into the ground, so the temperature stays between 52 and 74 degrees year-round without air conditioning.Bernhard tended 40 acres of wine grapes, which were most likely Zinfandels, while operating the winery. In his honor, Hyatt and Baumbach cultivate 100 vines that were planted 20 years ago to preserve the former winery's heritage.One of the Hyatt/Baumbach Winery's grape lovers is Bob Conheim, who has been drinking the local libations for more than 10 years. The Barbera is now one of his favorite because of its dry and fruity taste."It's a well-crafted, finished wine," Conheim said. "And these wines, in my opinion, are so well-finished, and so professionally done and are so pleasing to the palette that they're worth well over $30 to $35."Conheim has helped the partners pick grapes on their residential properties during the winery's annual Barbera picking in September, and has also helped Baumbach choose grapes in Apple Hill."It's just really exciting to support a local winemaker who's also a personal friend and to see him do such a professional job," Conheim said.Tanya Roscorla can be reached at tanyar@goldcountrymedia.com.In the Know: Hyatt/Baumbach WineryWine is available at the winery, Raley's, BelAir, Ikeda's and select local restaurants. Wine sells at the winery for $18 a bottle with a 10 percent discount on a case.Visit: Bernhard Cellars, 291 Auburn Folsom Road, Auburn. www.hbwine.comContact: Ron Hyatt at (530) 885-6197 or Neal Baumbach at (530) 305-0048.