In two days our workers planted 7 acres of Chardonnay. The first image shows the vines as they arrive from the nursery. These vines have been grafted to a special rootstock and grown in the nursery for one year.
This block is very sandy — easy digging. We have added a shovelfull of compost to each vine to help it along. A small harvest should be possible in 2009.
The 2007 Spring Vintners Festival is coming up and this year at a new site — the River Park in Lompoc. The park can be reached from Highway 246 just as you enter Lompoc and close to the La Purisima Mission.
This is a new venue for this event and one that looks very promising. The city of Lompoc is very enthusiastic and promoting the event, there is ample parking and best of all you are only a short distance from the Lafond Winery on a very scenic drive along Santa Rosa Road — unspoiled and bucolic.
The Festival is Saturday April 21 from 1:00 to 4:00pm.
Tickets may be purchased by calling 805 688 0881.
Advance fee is 75.00 at the gate 80.00
Both Santa Barbara Winery and Lafond Winery will be represented. Lafond Winery is having an Open House in conjunction with the Festival and they are open from 10:00am to 5:00pm, so come before or after the Festival.
This is still April and it can be cool – dress warmly.
The map on our website, although it does not show River Park, will give you a general idea of where it is. See map
New Release:
Looking for interesting grapes to plant in his own small Santa Ynez Valley vineyard, and after consulting with winemaker Bruce MaGuire, Andrew Joughin, our vineyard manager, purchased the cuttings from vines originating in Italy. Primitivo is well known as the primary wine from the Puglia region of Italy where it was widely planted starting in the 1850’s.
Recent DNA comparison has shown that California’s Zinfandel, whose origin was, until now, unknown, is the same as Primitivo. In the Joughin Vineyard, which is warmer than our own, there is a true marriage of grape and place.
Winemaker Bruce MaGuire has made a marvellous wine that is deep, rich and well balanced. Wonderful with cheese and almost any dish.
Cases produced: 185
Suggested reatail price: 26.00
For more information and to order
For more statistics (pdf format)
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