Vineyard Tour

I just got in from conducting a vineyard tour for about 25 people. Today is the Petaluma Gap Winegrowers Alliance Vineyard Tour Day. Clary Ranch was vineyard number two on the tour. I took the group up to the highest point in the vineyard, overlooking the entire site, to get a good view of the topological formation that is known as the Petaluma Gap.

The coastal hills of Northern California have a gap that separates the hills of Marin County from the rest of the range to the north. From the northern tip of the Point Reyes peninsula to just above Bodega Bay, the ocean breezes and summer fogs push through the Petaluma Gap. This maritime air is pulled in by the rising warm air mass over California's Central Valley. Clary Ranch is situated right along the southern edge of the Gap. We have found that Pinot Noir and Syrah grown in this area produce wines of intense varietal character.

The dark side of this mouthwatering intensity is that harvest is pushed out as far as October and November! The closer you get to the coast, the cooler the climate.  Every autumn is a nail-biting race against the rains. This is truly Winegrowing on the Edge: the edge of the continent and the edge of my sanity, at times!