Vineyards we work with

Alder Springs Vineyard

Alder Springs Vineyard is located in Mendocino County AVA just north of the town of Laytonville and 150 miles north of San Francisco. The vineyard sits in the 6,000-acre Alder Springs Ranch, a forested wonderland with steep terrain reaching heights of 4,000 feet. The climate is moderated by the vineyard’s elevation and proximity to the Pacific Ocean, a mere 12 miles away.

The vineyard is meticulously farmed by Stu Bewley who has been aptly described as a boss made up of lesser bosses. He planted the first block in 1993 after discovering a location with the ideal combination of sun, soil, and drainage. The 140-acre vineyard is planted on decomposed sandstone at elevations between 1,700 and 2,700 feet. This is a cool climate vineyard where the grape yields are low and the concentration of flavor is high. We are fortunate to work with such an amazing site and vineyard team.

Check out Eric Asimov’s article to learn more about Alder Springs.

Bedrock Vineyard

Bedrock Vineyard is an historic vineyard located in Sonoma Valley AVA off of Madrone Road. The 150-acre ranch sits on the valley floor between the Mayacamas and Sonoma mountain ranges. The vineyard has plantings dating back to 1880s. The old vines are head trained and are a field blend of 27 differing varieties, including Zinfandel, Syrah, Carignan, and Mourvèdre. There are more recent plantings of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties trained on Geneva double curtain (GDC) system. Bedrock has four primary soil types: Tuscan cobbley clay loam, Los Robles gravely clay loam, Red Hill clay loam and Huichica loam, all coming from the Mayacamas mountains. The vineyard is overseen by Joel Peterson and his son, Morgan Twain-Peterson. Joel and Morgan are two of the most incredible human beings you could ever hope to meet. Check out their interviews on I’ll Drink to That! podcast (Episode 460 & 236). They are stewards of Bedrock Vineyard, practicing regenerative farming that includes biochar, cover crops, roller crimping, native hedge rows and owl boxes.

Fred’s House Vineyard

Fred’s House Vineyard is located in the Contra Costa (Coco) AVA in the town of Oakley, east of the San Pablo Bay and next to the San Joaquin River. The warm summer days are cooled by afternoon winds from the bay that travel up through the river delta. Oakley is home to some of California’s oldest vines, including this special vineyard, which was planted in the 1880s. Walking through the vineyard is akin to walking on fine beach sand. The unique sandy soils are named after the town (Oakley Sands) and are made of decomposed granite deposited from the river delta. The sands can be 40 feet in depth and allow the head-trained vineyard to be own rooted and dry farmed, a combination very few vineyards can claim. This seven-acre vineyard of old vines has been farmed by four generations of the Del Barbra family whose patriarch’s home sits near the front of the ranch. This is why we affectionately refer to this vineyard as Fred’s House.