Vineyards

Captain Stalham Wing is remembered not only for his penchant for carp but also for the wine produced from his Mt. Veeder vineyard and entered into the 1864 Napa County Fair. Our vineyard is located on a finger ridge facing that canyon named for Stalham Wing.

Bill Jenkins purchased the 160-acre parcel in 1982. By 1986 five acres were cleared, terraced and planted with 3000 vines including cabernet sauvignon, franc, merlot and chardonnay. Five more acres followed by 1988, all planted to AXR1 rootstock. These were field budded in 1990, mostly to cabernet sauvignon with some merlot. Those 3000 vines are currently being replanted to resistant vines as the AXR1 fails, a few hundred a year. The soil is Felton gravelly loam with an average slope of 20%, west facing exposure and an elevation of 1200 feet. No irrigation is used after the young vines are established. The average rainfall on Mt Veeder is 60 inches.

The vineyard has always been tended within the guidelines of organic, sustainable farming. Permanent cover crops such as rose and crimson clover, Persian nitro clover, Zorro fescue and blando brome grass are allowed to reseed before mowing and cultivation. No herbicides, pesticides or synthetic fungicides are used. Only wettable sulfur is used for mildew control.

Harvest yields are less than one and a half tons per acre producing wines with concentrated intense flavors.