The last of the winter chores were done after harvest, to put the vineyard to bed for the winter. The bird netting and shade cloth used for last harvest’s protection have been rolled up, marked with the row number, and put into the barn for storage until next summer. Compost has been shoveled onto the…
Following the devastation of the Glass Fire in September 2020, upon consultation with my vineyard manager I made the decision to try to replant the vineyard and re-install the infrastructure of the vineyard as soon as possible. With the lack of supplies and Covid restrictions, getting material and people to do the work took a…
From the beginning of the vineyard replanting process, the vineyard managers and I agreed to become as responsible to the environment and vineyard health as possible. We chose to use only organic material on the vines and surrounding hillside and become as regenerative in our farming goals as possible. I looked into replanting natives and…
Almost 4,000 bench-grafted vines (one year old 110 R rootstock grafted onto the Clone 7 Cabernet Sauvignon scion) went into the ground in the newly prepared vineyard in the middle of summer, 2021. With freshly worked soil, compost, biochar, mycorrhizae and soil amendments, along with drip irrigation every week, the baby vines flourished. In the…
Planting a vineyard from scratch is a process that usually takes years of planning and organization, but I didn’t feel that I had that much time to spare. Fortunately, I was able to convince my vineyard manager that I was determined and we should get going as soon as possible! With Covid still looming, there…
The Glass Fire, which started early Sunday, September 27 in Napa County as a 20-acre brush fire, rapidly burned over 67,000 acres. Winds whipped up and down the valley pushing the blaze in all directions and from one side of the northern Napa Valley to the next, engulfing vineyards, wineries, businesses and homes from St.…
Ingredients:1 C Rancho Gordo Spelt Berries, cooked until tender2-3 radishes, thinly slicedFresh herbs, chopped (parsley, chives and dill all work well)1 small cucumber or three small lemon cucumbers, thinly sliced1/4 cup good-quality feta cheese, crumbled1 Tablespoon hemp seeds1/2 Tablespoon black sesame seeds1/4 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and roughly choppedsalt + pepper to taste Dressing:1/4 C…