IT ALL BEGINS IN THE VINEYARD

Most people think of the winemaker’s role as starting with harvest, but it really starts much earlier.  We can’t consistently make the right choices in the winery without a deep understanding of the soil, climate, and farming practices that give the fruit its personality.  That includes our estate RPG Vineyard, obviously, but also sites we buy grapes from like Gemini Vineyard in the newly created Laurelwood AVA. 

David Paige discusses the 2020 harvest with Luke DeHayr, owner and grower at Gemini Vineyard.

 This work often starts before planting, choosing the appropriate varieties, clones, and rootstocks for the site and the wines we have in mind.  Once planted, we work with training and trellising to keep the vines balanced.  During the growing season we use leaf pulling and crop thinning to give the vines the best chance to grow fruit with the flavors, tannins, and intensity to make great wine.  By the time the fruit arrives at the winery those parameters have been set in the vineyard.  We still have a lot of choices to make and a lot of hard work ahead, but the wines can only be as special as the grapes we start with.