It has been said that a good
deal of winemaking takes place in the vineyard. By the time the
fruit has made it's way into the winery, if the grapes are good, the
hard part is done. Some would argue it's all about location, but
in actuality, it's the affect of the weather on that
particular location that has a big impact. Coastal, hillside, valley
floor, ridge top; vineyards planted in these types of terrain all
receive different weather patterns and thus are suitable for growing
different types of grapes to their greatest potential.
California is typically known for having beautiful weather and that is definitely one reason why this state
is great for growing wine grapes. That said, mother nature doesn't
always provide the perfect conditions when they are most critical;
the weeks building up to harvest when the grapes are ripening on the vine.
The weather over the past few
years hasn't been ideal and the amount of rain coupled with the cooler temperatures during
the growing season had a negative impact on the quantity as well as quality of the fruit in many areas of California.
Luckily, for 2012, the weather has been pretty close to perfect. The higher temperatures during the day has helped with maturation of the grapes while the nighttime lower temperatures helped
preserve acidity. These ideal conditions, found in our Russian River
Valley vineyard, are just what the Pinot Noir grapes need to thrive to
produce an exceptional wine for our inaugural vintage.
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