THE Vineyard
Our estate vineyard lies on 144 acres in the rolling hills that separate Petaluma and Cotati. We have 35 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the Petaluma Gap sub-region of the Sonoma Coast. Our site is one of the best places in the area to experience the beauty of the Petaluma Gap. The vineyard faces west, and on a clear day, one can see 20 miles out to the marine layer blanketing Bodega Bay. Our unique location funnels cool, moist air in from the Pacific Ocean along the low-lying areas to the San Pablo Bay.
The morning fog limits the amount of sunlight, which delays sugar accumulation and helps retain natural acidity. In the afternoon, the winds pick up, and the vines begin to close their stomata on the undersides of leaves. This is essentially shutting down transpiration (also limiting sugar accumulation) until the wind speed slows down. These conditions allow us to harvest the grapes with mature flavors and aromas at lower sugar levels.
