Farming

Farming is like any other business: ask 10 experts for their opinion on how to accomplish something, and you will get 10 different answers.  You will also learn that you will make mistakes and take your lumps. 

When we began planting the vineyards here, we found the best agronomists, soil specialists, and vineyard management companies to help us get off on the right foot.  They helped us with vineyard layout, clone and rootstock selections for each section, irrigation and trellising systems, 

But there comes a time when you realize that this is your dirt and your vineyard, and you know them better than anyone else.   Because Margarito, our foreman, and his assistant, Francisco, both live here on the property with us, we have four sets of eyes on the vineyards at all times.  We are able to notice even very slight changes in vine growth, color, symptoms of pests, irrigation requirements, and fertilization needs and can respond to them immediately. 

We have also learned that what many experts may recommend, doesn’t work here, as well as what they recommend against works very well here.  For example, deficit irrigation in the Fall towards harvest was recommended by most experts, who felt that the fruit would ripen and intensify more effectively with less water.  We found that with the very hot and dry conditions here, the timing of this deficit irrigation, shut the vines down, and impeded the ripening the fruit.  So, we now avoid irrigating for as long as we can in the Spring, which encourages the vines to soak up all available water and nutrients in the soil, while they are still readily available.  We have also changed trellising systems to help avoid sunburn in some sections; replaced rootstock with better fits for our soil, and ripped out under-performing sections.

Elena and Margo are the grower-relations reps here, and both are willing to do just about anything that your wine-making team requests.  We pride ourselves on having the happiest and most satisfied wineries in the county