Tag: soil

You hear it again and again, "After I got married I stopped having time for myself." Cooperation is a healthy part in a relationship. The trick is to grow together, and as the old saying goes, to "row in the same direction."

Growing in a marriage as the years pass takes skill. Marriages that stagnate become ripe for problems. So how do you grow in your marriage? Just like the flowers and trees, all relationships need water and sunlight, a little tending to pull up the weeds and a little talk to help them grow along.

The Domaine Drouhin Oregon story began in Burgundy in 1880, with the founding of Maison Joseph Drouhin in Beaune. Joseph’s son, Maurice Drouhin, expanded the Drouhin estate including the purchase of the family’s signature vineyards in the Clos des Mouches. Maurice’s son, Robert Drouhin, continued the family practice of buying exceptional vineyards, and in 1987, purchased land in the Dundee Hills of Oregon. At the time of this extraordinary leap, there were only 65 wineries in the state, but Robert was inspired by the potential of the region, and by the close community of winemakers.

Named "tertulia" for the Spanish word meaning a social gathering of friends, Tertulia Cellars focuses on making terroir-driven wines from the finest vineyards in the region. The majority of the winery’s fruit comes from its own three sustainably farmed estate vineyards: Whistling Hills, Riviere Galets, and Elevation.

Each of these three estate vineyards is situated in a different part of the Walla Walla Valley. Whistling Hills Vineyard was the first to be planted in 2007. Its eight acres of vines, wrapped around the winery building, are nestled in deep windblown loess soil.

Tucked away in the hills of Santa Ynez Valley, Pence Ranch is a small artisanal winery dedicated to producing world-class wines that highlight the unique complexity of Santa Barbara terroir.

Proprietor Blair Pence founded the winery out of his longtime passion for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, particularly those produced in Burgundy, France. He traveled there often to learn how the region’s renowned wines are created, and then began searching for a suitable site to cultivate cool climate grapes of his own. In 2004, he finally found the perfect property: a 200-acre ranch on the western edge of Santa Barbara County.

Welcome to the Lake Chelan Wine Valley, one of the most naturally intoxicating wine destination in the Pacific Northwest. The vintages are deep and complex, like the cobalt depths outside their wineries’ Washington steps. The glacially carved soil gives Lake Chelan grapes unique character. The Lake’s depths literally change the seasons here, stretching them out, drawing out late-summer sugars, long after others are off the vine. Some say Lake Chelan's most precious resources are the world-class winemakers drawn to these conditions, turning nature’s gifts into the magic in your glass. Engaging and accessible, chances are you’ll talk to more than one on your next wine adventure here.

On the western shore of California’s massive Clear Lake, a magnificent 4,300-foot volcano casts a majestic presence against the sky. Its core samples tell us it began to form 480,000 years ago as part of a volcanic field that experienced serious eruptions until around 38,000 B.C. When the first humans—tribal members of the Pomo Nation—settled nearby, they named it Mount Konocti, roughly translated to "Mountain Woman." Through the centuries, Mount Konocti has been a source of spiritual inspiration, legends, and wonder.

Mike Sinor
ANCIENT PEAKS & SINOR-LAVALLEE WINES
The wineries are just five miles on average from the ocean, so the prevailing marine conditions are very pronounced, giving the fruit a lot of time to develop rich, full flavors while maintaining structure, complexity, and balance. I have a unique opportunity to work with grapes from two distinct terroirs within this region: Ancient Peaks’ Margarita Vineyard, at the northernmost border where it’s warmer, and Sinor-LaVallee’s Bassi Ranch Vineyard, just 1.2 miles from Avila Beach.