Dear Friends,
This is a historic year for Nicholson Ranch. I am planting new vines next month in April. Last year we worked on preparing the land for the new vineyard and the trellis system is now all setup. The new vines were planted in a nursery in the spring of 2022, first in a greenhouse and then in the nursery’s vineyard. Presently they are dormant waiting to be transported to Nicholson Ranch in the spring. In April we will bring the baby vines to Nicholson Ranch and let them warm up for a few days to acclimatize them to their new home. In the second half of April a team of forty vineyard workers will begin planting each vine by hand. We need a lot of help since we have 25,000 vines to plant, so we are hosting a Planting Party on Sunday, April 23rd. All members are invited to plant a few vines, tag them for posterity, then quench their thirst and join us in a celebratory lunch.
We are replanting 21 acres of the original 31 acres. (Not to fear, we still have 10 acres of Pinot vines and a substantial cellar of Chardonnay wines to keep you supplied for the next few years). When I first planted in 1995, I benefited from the advice of grape growers and winemakers. This time, in addition, I have had the benefit of watching nature for the past 28 seasons create a magical mix of sun and soil, fog and wind, rain, and drought. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines have thrived and continue to be the two primary grapes we grow. A few things, though, are changing. There will be more Pinot vines planted and fewer Chardonnay vines. This reflects the collective palate of our members, who drink more Pinot Noir than Chardonnay. The new vines will have a new rootstock that is more drought tolerant. Though California has always had bouts of drought, in recent years the droughts have been more severe. The new rootstock will help with the health of the vines in dry years. All the clones being replanted are clones that make our reserve level wines. Only the best of the best is being planted again. The new trellises will now have small cross arms. The cross arms, as the term describes, are foot-long metal brackets that are attached to the main trellis post like a T. The new cross arms will spread the shoots more evenly for greater exposure to sunlight and wind, increasing the flavor and reducing mold. Each of these changes improve the quality of Nicholson Ranch grapes to create outstanding vintages in the future.
Fortunately, the weather this year is starting out as the very best for what we need. The excess rain will keep the soil moist. We will let the new vines grow their roots to find water. We will not irrigate the new vines till the heat of summer. Each year we will encourage the roots to go deeper by extending the dry farming period. In a few years the plants should be completely dry farmed with no irrigation throughout the season.
This is a very exciting year. Please come and visit and witness the renewal and revival of our vineyards.
I look forward to seeing many of you this year. Cheers!
Deepak Gulrajani
