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Vineyard

A collection of 405 posts

Grapes of the Rhone Valley: Grenache Noir

Grenache, (also known as Grenache Noir, to distinguish it from its white counterpart Grenache Blanc) is the most widely planted grape in the southern Rhône Valley, and the second most widely planted varietal in the world. It is most often blended (with Syrah and Mourvèdre in France and Australia, and

Why Limestone Matters for Wine Grape Growing

[Editor's Note June 2020: I've written a new version of this blog, taking into account new research and correcting a few areas that I've come to believe were inaccurate or incomplete. Please see Why Calcareous Soils Matter for Vineyards and Wine Grapes.] Winemaker and

Vine Relocation Project

We've gotten approval for our expansion plans, and should start construction sometime in the next week or two. This third and final phase of our building will include more fermentation space, a new room for our foudres, more offices, more and better parking proximate to the tasting room

Vineyard weed control... and introducing the spader, our newest toy

At this time of year, it's essential that we get into the vineyard and complete the long process of knocking down the vineyard weeds so that they don't steal water and other scarce resources from the vines. This is a multi-stage process that takes us months

Notes from the Cellar: Biodynamics and crystallization? Yeah, it's new to me too.

by Chelsea Magnusson When I was a student at Cal Poly, my Advanced Viticulture class spent a few lecture sessions on alternative farming methods. In less than five minutes, we were finished with our lesson on biodynamics - it was clear that the professor was not trying to sell the

Grapes of the Rhone Valley: Roussanne

Roussanne, with its honeyed richness and excellent longevity, forms the backbone of our Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc. In addition, it has the balance and character to make a compelling single varietal wine, as in our varietal Roussanne that we've made each year since 2001. The varietal takes its

Whither inexpensive, artisanal California wine?

In early March I was interviewed by Jordan Mackay for an article in the New York Times called "Local Versions of Europe's Everyday Wines". In it, Jordan explored why so few California winemakers were attempting to make inexpensive but artisanal wines that can compete with the

Grapes of the Rhone Valley: Mourvèdre

Mourvèdre (more-vehd-ruh), with its meaty richness and wonderful longevity, forms the backbone of our Esprit de Beaucastel. Twenty-one acres of our vineyard are devoted to Mourvèdre, representing the largest acreage of any of our grapes and over a third of our red Châteauneuf-du-Pape varieties. Early History Mourvèdre is native to

An Update on Spring: Green, Green, Green

We're thrilled with the winter that we've received so far. We're near 35 inches of rain since October, which is the most we've received in four years. We've had periods of extended cold, which got the vineyard fully dormant. For

Grapes of the Rhone Valley: Picpoul Blanc

Picpoul Blanc (also spelled Piquepoul Blanc) is one of the lesser-known Rhône varietals, but one that we think has a tremendous future in California. It is one of the thirteen permitted varietals in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, where it is used primarily as a blending component to take advantage of its acidity. Like