Spring Mountain Vineyard is an 845 acre estate on the eastern slopes and lower half of Spring Mountain. It extends from 400 feet above sea level to about 1450 feet at the top of the property. There are about 135 different vineyard blocks scattered over the estate totaling 226 acres. Each has a different elevation, soil, and exposure to the elements and each block produces something unique. This great diversity of steep hillside plantings is the source of consistent, powerful, and distinctive red wines.
Four adjoining properties on Spring Mountain were acquired, each featuring a vineyard and a winery. They were Spring Mountain Vineyards (Miravalle) 257 acres, Chateau Chevalier 120 acres, Streblow Vineyards (Alba) 33 acres, and Draper Vineyards (La Perla) 435 acres.
These wine properties were first developed in the late 19th Century and, though boundaries and names had changed in the intervening years, much of what was done a century earlier remains evident today.
Spring Mountain Vineyard has been a sustainable wine estate since 1992 when it came under new ownership and direction.
Sustainable winegrowing has been a matter of course at Spring Mountain Vineyard from day one, not something adopted because it became fashionable to do so. From the beginning, responsible stewardship has been a primary goal in our vineyards...
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» No herbicide or pesticide use
» Exclusive use of organic materials
» Insects to control vine mealybugs
» Encourage species to control pests naturally
» Organic materials to control mildew
» Composted plant material is recycled
This distinct pattern of cooling during the warm growing season causes afternoons and evenings to be cool, even chilly, on Spring Mountain. As this cool air settles to the valley floor, and as the onshore flow subsides, warm air is lifted up and the temperatures rise...
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Mornings are warmer on the upper slopes of Spring Mountain. Fog often covers the valley below, while the appellation is above the fog layer. Maximum day temperature is reached an hour or more earlier in the day. Cooling begins early with the shade in the late afternoon...
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Mt. Veeder, which lies to the south of Spring Mountain, contains mostly older sedimentary soils. Diamond Mountain, which lies to the north, contains soils of newer volcanic origin. Spring Mountain is a mixture of volcanic and sedimentary soils, leaning more toward the latter...
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A strong west wind drift brings cold water to the California Coast. It also drives water westward from below the Aleutian Islands toward the shore of Southern British Columbia. This current splits as it hits the North American coastline. The current that heads north...
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