Wine is Only as Good as its Grapes

 

Farming for Terroir

Fifty years of experimenting with various growing techniques means we’ve established blocks, or separate growing environments, for different varietals. Some blocks are head pruned or trellised, irrigated or dry farmed, planted next to the Russian River or on rocky hillside slopes. Our grapes are thoughtful expressions of terroir, the marriage of grape to place, and are grown for desired varietal correctness. That terroir demonstrates the particular aspects of this land that straddles the Russian River, neighbors the Mendocino National Forest and sits at 1,200 feet in altitude. Temperatures here regularly swing 40-45 degrees from day to night, allowing a longer maturation period or hangtime on the vine. In this cool weather climate, grapes develop a fullness of flavor that is balanced by crisp acidity.

 

 

Winemaking

Each year we harvest roughly 750 tons of fruit, almost all by hand, from 160 acres of vineyard. Our wines are crushed and bottled at Rack & Riddle (for the bubbly) and Mendocino Wine Company (for the still wines). Our grapes are whole cluster pressed and do not see maloactic or oak, simply to exhibit the true quality of the grape. They are cold fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel for slow fermentation, which promotes freshness, crispness and maintains varietal character.

 

The End Result

Our wines are recognized with medals every year by the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Mendocino County Fair Wine Competition and Orange County Fair Wine Competition among others – and every single varietal we produce has garnered competition awards. We are extremely proud of this fact and work hard each year to continue that legacy of success. Across the board, what defines our style is a fruit forward, friendly drinkability. Our wines pair wonderfully with food because of their balanced characteristics and relatively low alcohol. Our goal is to let the grapes speak for themselves and not to overcomplicate the winemaking process. We hope you enjoy our stuff as much as we do!