The vineyard is located at 900 ft elevation on Iowa Hill in the Chehelem Mountains.  It is planted on a steep slope in Laurelwood soils.  These and many other factors result in naturally low yields.  Riparia Gloire rootstock was chosen for its reputation for limited yields and enhanced ripe wine.  Pinot Noir clones UCD29, Dijon 113, 115 were selected for making small clusters with intense flavors.  The vine density is 1 meter by 1.5 meters, resulting in 2900 vines per acre. 

The vines are pruned to Paul's exacting standards of one cane with approximately 8 to 10 buds.  Each vine averages 10 grape clusters a season with little variation from one vintage to another. Summertime cultural practices include shoot positioning and hedging which expose the grapes to the sun for better ripening.  Harvest is often in the second week of October.  We believe close attention to detail is crucial for high quality grapes, so most work is done by family members.    

Bird control is important in the fall as the fruit ripens and birds prepare for winter.  The birds during the 2010 season were especially voracious.  Click here to see a YouTube video of one of our more creative bird scare techniques.