The First Planting (1999)
In late ’98 and early ’99 Deb and I wandered through the dirt, measuring the land in order to create vineyard layouts, block sizes, and ultimately select and purchase the grape vines. In the Spring of 1999, Diane Kenworthy, then the vineyard manager for Oregon Grape Management, planted our first 6-acres. The initial planting included roughly 1.75-acres each of Pommard and Dijon clones 667 and 777. In addition, just north of the driveway we had cleared a ¾-acre east-facing parcel where we planted a mixed-clone block consisting of Mariafeld (a Swiss Pinot Noir clone), Pommard, and Dijon clones 777, 113, and 115. We also established this section of the vineyard as a rootstock test site, planting different clones on different rootstocks: 3309, 101-14, Riparia Glore, and 4453. Over dinner one night I recall asking Diane, “How do you know if you have a good site, or a mediocre site?” She replied, “Oh, that’s easy, just plant it and wait 10-years!” Looking back, that’s pretty much what we did…