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A Premier Producer in
the heart of the Willamette Valley
Our History of Farming and Winemaking
The Ridgeback
The original property was developed for cattle ranching and grazing. It had an existing 6,000 sq foot barn in disrepair and miles of cattle fencing.
The cattle created a bio rich environment that acted as a great foundation for grape growing.
The ridgeback receives excellent sunlight and is crowned by beautiful Oregon white oaks.
Purchased the property
Tim Kinkade purchased the property and rebuilt the road leading to the property. Fences were built and german steel trellis systems were erected for the planned rows of grapes.
Young grapes need to have regular watering so the trellis systems were outfitted with drip lines.
The barn was refurbished and the cattle trough was repurposed as bin storage for grape harvest.
Planted Pinot
We planted the 777 and Pommard pinot noir clones in our fertile 8D Bellpine Silty Clay loam. We installed grow tubes and started irrigated the grapes.
The grapes flank the driveway and grew ferociously in what is now zones 1-5.
First harvest and improvements
New clones need several years to establish before they can put out usable, high quality grapes at a workable yield.
Our first harvest was an exciting time, our pick crew and network of volunteers made it a special year. We also removed the old metal garage near the house and built a new one with stone siding.
We realized that predatory birds act as a great deterrent for would be grape thieves, so we built a network of perches to support them and bat boxes to help keep down insect populations.
Planted Gamay
We built the foundation for the Gamay by repairing the ground, with ripping and lime treatment for the new site. The Gamay clones are settled to the north of pinot noir.
The Gamay grows with great light at the top of the ridgeback in zones 6 & 7. Their fruit grows a little bigger than the pinot noir. Gamay’s rich history extends back to records from the 15th century.
Our 2019 vintage of Pinot noir received an excellent wine score of 94 by Antonio Galloni in 2021 by Vinous Media.
Smoke and Fires
This was a tough year for growers in the willamette valley. Wildfires in the surrounding areas caused smoke taint for the 2020 vintage. It was a learning opportunity for the delicate nature of grapes, and encouraged us to purchase a firetruck for the vineyard.
We perform regular drills with the firetruck in an effort to protect the grapes and our vineyard in the case of an emergency.
Gamay Harvest
We had a successful first harvest of our Gamay grapes. Our yield was higher than expected. They are becoming an incredibly popular grape in the Willamette Valley. The Gamay vines hold a lot of grapes and we anticipate even higher yields next year.
We always try to make harvest a special time of the year. We hosted a feast for the volunteers where we paired wines with rustic dishes cooked on outdoor grills.
New Sign and Barn
We designed an exciting new sign at the gate of the vineyard. We’ve updated aspects of our branding and we’ve revamped our website.
We broke ground on a 2000 sq foot pole barn to store vehicles, including the vineyard’s firetruck. There are also plans to install an HVAC system for wine storage.
This is also a really excting year as the first time we are doing custom crush with our grapes.
location
The Field
Our vineyard sits on a ridgeback of a hill above beautiful Dallas, Oregon. The vast 80-acre property is nestled in the unique climate of the Van Duzer Corridor, where the oceanic winds funnel into the valley, creating a cooling effect that allows for grapes with more tannins and body as well as dries out the vine canopy and decreases fungus pressure. This empowers us to follow our mission of sustainable growing practices by avoiding using unnatural sprays and pesticides.
Historically it was a cattle ranch, making the soil rich for new growth. A ring of Oregon white oak trees protects the vineyard and is often patrolled by Kestrel and peregrine falcons. It sports spectacular views of the Willamette Valley and surrounding wine country.
A little about us
Meet the team
soil process
Great grapes start with great soil
It is critical that we take very good care of our topsoil with our farming practices that we are currently using. Being very careful with the compaction of the soil on the Vineyard floor, erosion of topsoil and continually rotating cover crops for the health of the soil and the nutrients.
Our process includes gently ripping every other row annually to loosen up from tractor compaction during our growing season. We constantly monitor the ph of the soil and make adjustments as necessary.
