Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/629538
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER FEBRUARY 1, 2016 27 against winter injury and provide frost protection. He noted that not a single vine was lost to the damaging temperatures experienced in November 2014, even though the vineyard had been planted that same year. Well-known neighbors surround the 20-acre vineyard. Next door is extreme-sloping Force Majeure Vineyards, and nearby are vineyards of Col Solare and Hedges Family Estates. Varieties planted at Longwinds are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot; vineyard spacing is 7 feet between rows, 4 feet between vines. Rows are planted 23 degrees off north, resulting in a northeast-southwest orientation that was chosen for ease of canopy man- agement. Rudin said that only a minimal amount of leaf cover or "fl op" is needed on the west side for sunburn protection compared with the more intensive manage- ment and bigger canopies needed for north-south rows. Vines are being trained to a single and bilateral cordon and vertical-shoot-position trellis system. Soils at Longwinds Vineyard, classifi ed as Warden series silt loam, are relatively deep at 7 to 10 feet, but they change quickly. At the top of the vineyard on the other side of the access road, soils are fractured basalt and depth is around 2 feet. Rudin said that having "local boots on the ground" has been very important to Canvasback's owners in California. Before Longwinds was planted, Dick Boushey, a grower from Grandview, Washington, and Duckhorn's viticulture director P.J. Alviso of Napa Valley, collabo- rated on layout and design. Boushey was responsible for planting and now manages the vineyard. When Longwinds comes into production in 2016, the estate grapes will complement current vineyard sources used to make Canvasback wines. Rudin sourced fruit from 14 vineyards this past harvest. "Longwinds is a spectacular spot on Red Mountain, and I envision making great single-vineyard wine," he said. "But I would never want to give up the great grapes we've been sourcing from neighboring vine- yards. Canvasback has put together a really strong program the last three years to source some of the very best established vineyards here, and I plan to continue that." For now, Canvasback wines are made in the custom crush and winemaking facility of Artifex Winery in Walla Walla. Artifex, which opened in 2007, has a small client focus, with emphasis on gravity-style handling and small- lot winemaking techniques — the largest tank only holds 8 tons of grapes. Artifex is a full-service, custom-crush facility for small, boutique wineries to medium-sized brands and takes wine from crush to bottle. Production goals Rudin hopes to make 15,000 cases from the 2015 vintage, a rapid increase in volume from Canvasback's initial release of 2,000 cases from the 2012 vintage. When the estate Longwinds Vineyard comes online, annual production could exceed 20,000 cases. The East Wenatchee native is the founding winemaker for Canvasback. Rudin, with a political science degree, was working in a restaurant to earn money for law school when he changed his career course. He enrolled in Walla Walla Community College's enology and viticulture pro- gram and was mentored by pioneering viticulturist Stan Clarke. After graduating from the program in 2007, he worked for Alder Ridge Vineyard and Zefi na Winery and then spent six years at Cadaretta Wines of Walla Walla before joining Canvasback. While at Cadaretta, he was involved in developing a 330-acre site on the north slope of the Walla Walla Valley. "I've been lucky in that every single winemaking job I've had has been attached to estate vineyard acres," Rudin said. "That's kept me close to the vines and is why I put such an emphasis on the vineyard. My job starts in the vineyard each April, and that's where I spend most of my time so there are no surprises in September." He also is fortunate to have the Duckhorn team of winemakers for support and can call the fi ve other wine- makers and winemaking teams for advice. While each of the six Duckhorn wineries is a separate unit with a differ- ent wine focus, Rudin can tap into the depth of experience of his fellow Duckhorn winemakers in California. "My goal is to fi gure out the sweet spots on Red Mountain and use the breadth of resources and tools I have to make wine that best expresses Red Mountain," he said. "I'm very grateful for the ability to focus and drill down on Red Mountain Cabernet. Many other varieties work well on Red Mountain, but what really shines there is Cabernet." • puts down Duckhorn Wine Company has put down roots on Washington's Red Mountain. A recently planted 20-acre estate vineyard will begin bearing fruit this year. OTS PHOTO COURTESY OF DUCKHORN WINE COMPANY Frost control has become very important to us. In the last 9 years, we have had 5 frost events that have signifi cantly damaged our production. We decided to do something to help mitigate this so our production would be consistent. That's where Orchard-Rite® wind machines have come into play for us. In mid April of 2014, we reached 24 degrees outside the vineyard, yet we were able to save 100% of the fruit under the machines. Outside of the coverage area, we lost almost all of the fruit. At harvest, we picked over 6 tons per acre in the protected area and less than 1 ton per acre in any unprotected vines. The wind machines also reduced my vine damage. I put the wind machines on 10 year old vines and experienced minimal damage, but any unprotected 1 year old vines were completely decimated by the cold temperatures. In the future, when I set out a new planting, I will install Orchard-Rite® wind machines to provide protection for the following Spring. Damaging young plants is a huge expense not only in lost production but in extra management costs to replant and retrain damaged vines. I believe that the wind machines will help our Texas wine industry grow consistent crops that our wine makers can depend on to produce superior wines and to reliably supply our markets. "The grape vines under my wind machines yielded 6 tons per acre while my unprotected areas had less than 1 ton per acre." Orchard-Rite ® PRODUCT REVIEW -- Andy Timmons Lost Draw Vineyard Lubbock, TX, USA Paci c Distributing, INC. 125 S. Blair Woodlake, CA 93286 Phone: (559) 564-3114 Authorized Distributor of.. Orchard-Rite ® Wind Machines Visit Us at Tulare World Ag Expo February 9-11 H Street Space 21-27