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GARY STRACHAN
At top left is a potential vineyard site on a warm hillside covered with open
f
The dir
orest and native grasses. The slope will deliver good air drainage and an
extended frost-free season. At right, the soil profile is examined on the
slope. Note the fine, silty surface soil that covers a sandy
t a
, well-drained
subsoil.
bout soil
A
“It won’t be a serious problem”. “We
i
f
t
o
s
t
r

horough knowledge of
can live with it”. A vineyard can be
cost of operations. For example, it’s a
almost immortal. We may have to live
major commitment to remove topsoil,

p
th
ro
e
p
o
e
p
r
t
t
i
i
m
es
i

z
is
a

t
e
i
s
o
s
n
e

n
of
tial
with our pinched pennies for a long
change the surface configuration and
time.
replace the topsoil.
vineyard productivity.
term cash savings against long-term
It’s a tough decision to balance short- undisturbed soil will be more
If it isn’t recontoured, the
productive immediately after planting
By Gary Strachan
I
hate it when I get into one of those
“. . . But on the other hand . . .”
OneVintage Performance
straightforward and it’s a “go ahead”
situations. Everything seems to be
decision but then you learn about
After Another
something else that you have to take
into consideration. Straightforward just
left the building.
Once again our vines produce
situations when working on vineyard
I’ve encountered a lot of those
award-winning wines. Great wines aren’t
designs. It ought to be quite simple.
bornovernight.Theyrequirequalityvinesandmonthsof
Where is the fall line of the slope
careful nurturing. At Vintage Nurseries we’re proud to
(always plant on a slope to create good
watch our vines grow up in places like South Coast
air drainage)? What kind of soil is
Winery, where they become award-winning wines. In
present? Is there a reliable supply of
fact, South Coast used exclusively Vintage Nurseries
good quality water? And you just keep
vine products to win Winery of the Year honors at the
asking all of the usual questions until
prestigious California State Commercial Wine
you have a nice line of yes’s.
Competition. The acclaimed Temecula vintner won 39
different awards in all, including the coveted Golden
site have good water drainage? Maybe.
It’s the maybes that I hate. Does the Bear, for diverse appellations such as rose and red
Is runoff water going to create erosion
Grenaches, Merlot Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer
on the site? Maybe. Are the slopes going
and Port.
to be steep enough to create an
We applaud South Coast Winery’s extra-ordinary
equipment safety problem? Maybe. Is
achievement. For this Vintage performance and others
the site surface uneven enough to create
localized variations in temperature?
before it, we’re proud to keep the winning tradition
Maybe.
growing.
Wasco Paso Robles Modesto Santa Rosa
“maybe” answers and just get on with
It’s much too easy to ignore the
661-758-4777 805-237-8914 209-523-8036 707-542-5510
planning vineyard blocks and planting.
800
•
499
•
9019 www.VintageNurseries.com
British Columbia FRUIT GROWER • Fall 2009
25
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