As the morning in the vineyard with Todd wore on, it was time to turn our attention off Chardonnay and onto the red grapes. With the exception of Pinot Noir intended for sparkling wines, these grapes still had time to hang out on the vines. Our first stop was a vineyard near the Frank Family propery, where the owner grew Pinot Noir, which Todd purchased. The fruit was looking good and the owner noted that he and his wife would be dropping the green bunches in the next day or so.
Leaving Pinot Noir behind, we drove north and into the AVA of Rutherford, checking out Cabernet Sauvignon grapes being grown on the Valley floor. These grapes were quite large and deep in color, but it was evident upon tasting them that the tannins were underripe and the seeds provided further evidence. The vines themselves were quite bushy and it was expected that some additional leaf thinning would be needed to ensure that the grapes would achieve full ripeness.
Our final vineyard stop was a hillside vineyard called Winston Hill. Also in the Rutherford AVA, Winston Hill is located on the hillside of the Vaca mountain range, providing exquisite views of the Napa Valley and, more importantly, high quality Cabernet Sauvignon fruit for the Frank Family Vineyards flagship wine of the same name. A small amount of Sangiovese is also grown here.
After spending the day getting down, but fortunately not too dirty, in the vineyards, Brad and I had learned so much about viticulture and its partnership with winemaking. It was clear that the winemaker must be keenly involved in the day to day vineyard management to ensure that the grape that arrives at the cellar door is the fruit he or she wants. Furthermore, key decisions such as when to pick require careful consideration and can ultimately affect the quality of the finished wine.
Luckily for us, Todd knows what he is doing on this front, as evidenced by the quality of the Frank Family Vineyards’ wines, which was had the opportunity to taste over lunch. Sitting outside on the VIP porch of their tasting house, we first sampled the 1997 vintage Brut sparkler produced from a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, which was showing beautifully. We next tried the Reserve Chardonnay before switching to the red wines — Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Winston Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Zinfandel. Needless to say, we were a bit late getting back for the afternoon’s lecture on sustainable agriculture, but, when it comes to learning, nothing beats hands-on experience.