The Winery Lost Hog of Lake County of California

Corriedale sheep snack on weeds among rows of vines; along the way, they fertilise the soil, adding nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium. Owls and bats swoop from vineyard boxes from dusk ’til dawn, eliminating vine-root-eating gophers and grapevine moths. Native flowering plants create sanctuaries for beneficial insects. Such a menagerie of wildlife would have been unlikely decades ago. Still, the commitment to organic and biodynamic viticulture has pushed some California wine producers to l ...

The course will be taught by the masters of vineyard management, Simonit & Sirch, and their Master Pruner, Jacopo Miolo. Lake County sits north of California’s most famed region, the Napa Valley, but the techniques being taught by Miolo (in both English and Spanish) are employed at an impressive list of wineries. Their client list includes some of the world’s most renowned producers; Château d‘Yquem, Chateau Latour, and Roederer, among others. In  Napa, names like Corison, Diamond Creek, Sha ...

Along Sonoma Coast’s Bodega Highway, morning fog in summer can feel as wet as a rainstorm. The area is populated by redwoods, trees that feed on such moisture to create a microclimate of cool, damp air. Their needles gather humidity, dripping it onto the ground below over the course of the day. Vineyards in this southwest section of Sonoma County grow tucked within the forest, enjoying an extended growing season compared to outlying areas. The trees moderate the heat and reduce the impact of dro ...