Our Vineyard
Snows Lake Vineyard Backgrounder
The roots of Snows Lake Vineyard are deep: deep in the terroir of the Mayacamas Mountains, deep in the history of wine in the North Coast, and deep in the traditions and expertise of a California farming family. From these roots Snows Lake Vineyard has grown to become the leading vineyard in Lake County today.
The soils of Snows Lake Vineyard are the classic volcanic, red grape soils of the Mayacamas, which have become famous through such vineyards as Diamond Creek in the Napa Valley, some fifteen miles away. These well-drained gravelly loams are so red in color that they have given their name to one of the North Coast’s newest AVAs: Red Hills Lake County. On a cold winter’s day, you can still see the steam plumes rising into the air from the geothermal vents on nearby peaks, part of the geologic processes that created our remarkable soils.
These volcanic soils at Snows Lake have the added advantage of both elevation and exposure. The rolling hills give each vineyard block a unique orientation, providing our winery clients with a range of flavors and harvest dates. At 2,000 to 2,500 feet in elevation, Snows Lake is one of the highest vineyards in the North Coast. This creates very large diurnal temperature ranges that ripen red grapes fully while still maintaining the intensity of fruit and balanced acidity that makes great wine. This is hillside viticulture at its best: challenging and deeply rewarding.
At Snows Lake, we are not the first to pass this way, or farm this land. Our vineyard is full of the brilliant quartz crystals prized by the Pomo tribes of Native Americans. We provide access to members of that tribe even today, so that they can collect plants and other materials of interest to the tribe. And we have identified ancient sites that will be protected for posterity on our land. We honor their respect for this place, and are constantly working to monitor the quality of our land and its resources. We are, after all, the stewards of this property, and deeply committed to its long-term future.
More than one hundred years ago this was a booming wine region, with more than 35 wineries, thousands of acres of vineyards, and a field station manned by the California Agricultural Improvement Association. We often find traces of these early settlers, and we marvel at their courage. We know all too well how difficult it is to farm these hills. We can only imagine the challenges faced by those who were here so long before us.
We have worked with our neighbors to learn what they know of the past, and to collect the stories they can tell. Many of them can trace their own roots back to the early settlers of our land. We are working to create a library of these stories, so rich in the history of our region. As the owners of Snows Lake Vineyard, we recognize and respect this heritage. As a farming family, we share many of these same values. We have no illusions about the work it takes to grow great grapes. It takes hard work. It takes a seamless blend of the most advanced viticultural techniques and an experienced team that is focused on quality. Professional management and teamwork are key to our success. And we are committed to achieving one goal: grapes of great character and distinction.
Today, as the vineyard reaches full production, we are pleased to see this vineyard bear fruit, both literally and metaphorically. Our vineyard now produces exceptional grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and other varietals. The deep roots have struggled at times, and in so doing, they have concentrated the flavor of our success. The grapes we farm so carefully now go into the wines of Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Cakebread Cellars, Rosenblum Cellars, La Famiglia, Cartlidge & Browne, Dynamite Vineyards, and other prestigious wineries that are winning national and international acclaim.
The roots of Snows Lake are deep. And the rewards are deeply satisfying.