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Estate VineyardThe prominent varietal on our estate is Zinfandel with 39 acres planted. We have 15.6 acres of Syrah and just a bit of Alicante Bouschet. After unneeded vines were removed in the 1990s we conducted extensive soil research. This research informed our rootstock and clone selections. We utilize advanced technology like subterranean irrigations systems on many of our vineyard blocks. Underground irrigation delivers water right to the vine’s root zone and minimizes wasteful water evaporation. |
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Old BarnWe named this vineyard in honor of, literally, the old barn that overlooks the Zinfandel vines. The wooden barn built in 1900 is considered a historic landmark which served as an illegal winery during the prohibition. Today the old barn is still functioning, storing the farming equipment that we use to cultivate the vineyard today. The vineyard is located at the far end of Dry Creek Valley, planted in well-drained, river washed soils.
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Three GooseThe Three Goose block is located right next to the Old Barn block. We named this vineyard block Three Goose to honor the trio of happy geese that live at this site. We find it comforting to see these big white birds marching around the vineyard, serving as sentries. The geese living amongst these old vines are proof that sustainable practices can allow agriculture and animals to exist peacefully together.
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Wagon WheelWagon Wheel block is owned by the Perotti family who has a 3-generation long history of growing grapes in Sonoma County. This block is about 3 miles south of our Old Barn block on the west side of Dry Creek. We applied the term Wagon Wheel because of the look these vines take on as they develop through the growing season. Wagon Wheel is the term for head trained vines. Head training was a method of training vines that was done before the advent of wire trellis systems. Vines trained in this fashion resembled the shape of a wagon wheel. Each spoke of the wagon wheel would support a spur from which the shoots would grow. This would best balance the vine and weight of the fruit and also allow more sunlight. |
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Wind MachineWind Machine is another old-vine block of Zinfandel located within the Perotti vineyard. This site has red clay soils that are well-drained. the Wine Machine block is, no surprise, guarded by a towering wind machine. the wind machine at this location assures us that the valuable crop is protected from detrimental frost. Wind machines protect vineyards by mixing warm and cold air to help keep the temperature in the vineyard from falling below freezing. Grape vines are vulnerable to frost damage each spring when they awake from dormancy and the new buds begin to break open. A trusty Wind Machine provides welcome protection from frost damage. |