“Boutique” conjures an image of a tiny place a bit off the beaten path dealing in an exclusive line of fine products. That image fits Chevalier exactly. Located in the French Creek Valley of El Dorado County, Jeanette and Pierre Chevalier have established their little winery as a pearl in the foothill wine country.

Jeanette’s father bought the 240-acre ranch near Shingle Springs in 1943 after leaving the Hollywood movie industry where he was a special effects technician. She attended the one-room French Creek Elementary School just down the road from the ranch. Jeanette’s early childhood education paid off as she went on to have a successful teaching career after raising four children.

Pierre is a native of Switzerland and grew up among the vineyards of his homeland. He picked grapes for his uncle as a boy and went on to graduate from Agricultural College. But Pierre’s dream was to become a cowboy so he came to the U.S. and headed for Montana. “That didn’t work out so I became a tractor salesman,” Pierre recalls. After years on the east coast, Pierre finally came west - to California.

Jeanette and Pierre moved onto 33 acres of the family ranch that had set unattended for some time. “It was overgrown with weeds so my work was cut out for me,” Pierre says. “We planted a few fruit trees first but I thought we could grow Bordeaux grapes here because of the unique climate.” Summer evening temperatures drop dramatically and mornings are usually in the 40s in the secluded valley.

The French Creek Valley is at a much lower elevation (700-800 feet) than the rest of the El Dorado County vineyards but grapes had been successfully grown here in the past. The Watkins ranch just across French Creek Road from Chevalier had an extensive vineyard and commercial winery back in the 1880s. Remnants of those ancient vines still climb the giant oak trees on the Chevalier property.

Pierre and Janette planted the first vines in the six-acre vineyard in 1994. The micro-climate of the French Creek Valley was perfectly suited to the classic red grapes of Bordeaux – Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. “We also planted a little Sauvignon Blanc by mistake due to an error in labeling at the nursery,” Pierre added.

At first, Chevalier grapes were sold to other El Dorado wineries. Since Pierre does all the vineyard work himself, he wasn’t satisfied with the return he was getting for his hard work. The solution – make his own wine.

In 2001 Pierre and Janette began construction of their 1,000 case winery. Dug into the hillside just below the vineyards, the winery maintains a constant temperature and humidity – perfect for fermenting and aging Bordeaux style wines. Public tasting is done right in the winery.

“We only make two or three estate wines from our own grapes,” Pierre explains. He grows top quality grapes that result in fine, well-balanced wines. “I want to make wines under 14% percent alcohol with soft tannins that can be enjoyed with or without food. We harvest at maturity no matter what the sugar level and crush immediately after picking. Everything is hand sorted so we don’t get any leaves or other material in the must that would make the wine bitter.”

Chevalier wines are indeed fine wines. The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon “Reserve” is a wonderful expression of true boutique winemaking. Lush, full, and stylish, the wine spent 2-1/2 years in new French oak and one year in the bottle before the April release.

In May, Chevalier will release an exciting new premium blend called Ameritage. A unique blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, the wine is a zesty combination of new and old world grapes. Chevalier trademarked Ameritage to signify the enduring relationship between European and American wines – that one can enhance the strengths of the other.

Ameritage could also signify the relationship between Jeanette and Pierre. While married only 11 years, they have found that their relationship enhances each other’s strengths. The result is the epitome of boutique wineries – Chevalier.

Chevalier is located at 5720 French Creek Road, Shingle Springs, CA. (See El Dorado map page for directions). Tasting Room Hours are Sat. & Sun. Noon to 5:00 pm. Phone 530-677-1676. For additional information go to the Chevalier web site at www.chevalierwinery.com