The appeals process is long and complicated so end date of this latest delay is TBD. If you want to review the appeals process it’s available at this Superior Court link (here).

In the mean time , and as before, the 2010 Tiered Ordinance enabling public Tasting Rooms stands – so local wine lovers and visiting wine tourists may continue visiting their favorite San Diego County winery tasting rooms.

As you may recall, the Superior Court of California issued a ruling Friday April 15th 2011 that upheld the San Diego County Tiered Winery Ordinance.

Back in September 2010 “San Diego Citizenry Group” challenged the ordinance on CEQA grounds, seeking an injunction against its provisions.

Furthermore Citizenry was ordered to reimburse the County $16,444 for legal defense costs.

This hard-fought ordinance was over four years in the making, and was finally passed unanimously by the Supervisors in August 2010.

The thoughtful ordinance provided for a multi-level or “tiered” winery industry and in part, grants badly needed by-right tasting rooms to Boutique Wineries eliminating an onerous ~$250,000 Major Use Permit process that was effectively preventing this fledgling industry from happening – ironically in one of the (potentially) best wine-grape growing regions in the state .

As in August 2010, local wine lovers and wineries must hold their collective breath for a few weeks to see if an appeal is filed by the opponents.

Appeal aside, area wineries continue to face costly and prohibitive building permit mandates by the County Department of Planning and Land Use (DPLU). This is the next issue that the Supervisors will need to address.  Sadly the local building industry would benefit from these projects if excessive standards were not forced upon Boutique Wineries.

In the mean time, locals, please raise a glass and toast the visionary Supervisors and wish the wineries the best as they begin work this next bureaucratic challenge. Let’s also toast to the future wisdom of the Appeals Court to decline the Winery Opposition’s appeal of their April lawsuit loss.

“Salute”  (Italian)

“Salud”  (Spanish & Latin America)
“Santé”  (French)

My post in September 2010 started off saying “We had been holding off hoping to finally post good news for San Diego County wine lovers, tourism, and the community as a whole, but alas, that is not the case.”

The wine grape harvest for 2010 has been delayed in much of  California, Oregon, and Washington state,  due to cool weather so we have time to post on this topic today as we urge the brix (wine grape sugar content) upward.

You say: “Hey! I saw that the  San Diego County Tiered Winery Ordinance passed on August 4th – Hooray!

When are the new winery tasting rooms opening? I can’t wait!!!”

Well wait you must.

Lawsuits as a weapon of mass obstruction: While the San Diego County Tiered Winery Ordinance still stands, anyone opening a tasting room under its current provisions is are risk of premature shut- down if the courts issue an injunction as a result of the lawsuit that has been filed (3 Sept) by a local group of ordinance opponents. A similar lawsuit threat was raised some two years ago by the same opponents.

CEQA a complicated well-meaning law: Those of you who are familiar with California Environmental law – primarily the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), know that this well meaning law has been used not only to protect the environment, but also in an unintended  way, as a tool to stop development and projects beneficial  to the community.

After the last lawsuit threat,  San Diego County regrouped and spent $250,000 completing an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) plus the cost of associated staff time, hearings, and public review processes to provide the legal means of moving forward with a county-wide winery ordinance.

Most folks in the county we’ve discussed these issues with,  support San Diego’s nascent winery industry, agriculture and business in general. They cannot understand why the opponents continually block this beneficial initiative.

Others residents simply can’t understand the County’s prohibitively expensive permitting process – when wineries state-wide have reasonable and affordable opportunities for on-site tasting rooms and sales. The delays and cost inherent in the prior ordinance are the primary reason there has only been ONE new on-site winery tasting room open in the last few years. When advised of a $250,000 winery Major Use Permit (MUP) most citizens (rightfully) display a jaw- drop of significant proportions and typically say “That’s ridiculous.”

To be fair here, it’s important to  point out the County Supervisors recognize the chilling impact the current permitting process has on agriculture and wineries and they took significant action to rectify the situation in the form of a two year effort crafting the Tiered Winery Ordinance and directing the EIR – but their visionary efforts were derailed by yet another lawsuit.

Economics (or not) of small wineries: Vince Vasquez and Eric Larson of the San Diego Farm Bureau explain the economics of water-wise wine grapes and small San Diego family-owned wineries in this May 15th weekly National University Impact San Diego radio public policy show  “San Diego and the local wine industry!” The show can be streamed, or downloaded as a Podcast at this link .

The economics of scale that exist (well actually there are none) at a premium Boutique winery require on-site retail sales to maximize profits to  sustain operations. Premium wines require tastings to appreciate their uniqueness and quality.  For example, 100% of Eagles Nest 2007-2008 wines and Ports have won medals gold-silver-bronze – a total of 30  in the 2009-2010 competition year.

The overhead of an off-site tasting room for a family winery operation is untenable and cooperative tasting rooms in our area have consistently failed.  Case study after case study have emphasized the importance of on-site retail and wine club sales for Boutiques – and the many years needed to achieve profitability due to the heavy capitalization of a winery.  These are not high volume operations that can efficiently and amazingly produce, bottle, distribute, and sell a quaff-able daily wine for a profit at a few bucks a bottle.  Many if not most wine tourists want to see the vineyards where the wines originated and meet the winemaker at the winery – this can’t be done with an urban tasting room.

For an insight into the amazing Two-Buck-Chuck story, see a post from earlier this year on this site detailing Fred Franzia’s Bronco Winery operation at this link. If you are interested in more information about Eagles Nest you can see a this week’s San Diego Reader magazine at this link.

We’ve stated in testimony at Supervisor and Planning Commission hearings  (this link )  that tasting room permissions and on-site retail sales of wine are “mission critical” (in military parlance that veterans will understand) – a capability critical to achieving goals – mission success.  Small wineries do not have the (immense) economies of scale that large operations have, and by-the-way 90% of wineries in California are small family operations.  Boutiques cannot operate on a wholesale, retail, or restaurant basis alone particularly in the current economic malaise that exists locally and globally.

There will never be a large winery in San Diego County: Practically speaking, there will never be a “danger” of large wineries in San Diego County – the agricultural parcels are too small, the terrain too sloping, and the number of vineyards too low to sustain many wineries.  The Boutiques reflected in the Tiered Winery Ordinance are by wine volume 1/100th of what would be considered a “small winery” in the industry – thus a Boutique is more a microscopic or nano-winery.

If and until until San Diego County leadership can overcome CEQA challenges, and deliver tasting rooms with retail sales permissions to small family wineries, the citizens of San Diego County will have to drive to Riverside (Temecula), Santa Barbara, Paso Robles, Napa, or Sonoma counties – sadly, there will be NO wine industry here.

What you can do: San Diego County residents supporting wineries are urged to remain aware and involved politically and voice their support for legislation supporting the local wine industry. Communicate your support for the ordinance to your Supervisor contact them via this link. No problem ever got better without the participation of an educated committed constituency. Thank your Supervisors for their effort on this ordinance and offer your support for tasting rooms at local wineries!

If you are interested in more information about Eagles Nest you can see an article on us in San Diego Reader magazine at this link. Or simply visit the many blog posts on this (public) blog.

Our Web 1.0 website is http://eaglesnestwinery.com and our private blog for customers is http://eaglesnestwinery.ning.com . We’re a leading winery on Twittter at http://twitter.com/eaglesnestwine and on Facebook at this link.

Lynn went out to the vineyard and picked grapes to add to the dish.  I highly recommend that you stop by a vineyard after harvest and ask the owners if you may pick some of the left over wine grapes.  Once picked, freeze the wine grapes for later use.

If you do not have wine grapes, please use red seedless grapes.  Wine Grapes do have seeds, so if using you will have to strain the Port reduction sauce to remove the seeds.

Enjoy! Look forward to hearing your comments!

Ingredients

Serves 10 to 12

• 7 ounces fresh goat cheese
• 2 ounces mild blue cheese, such as Gorgonzola dolce
• 1 4 or 5-inch wheel Brie, chilled
• 1 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1 cup Eagles Nest Winery Cabernet Sauvignon ruby port
• 1/4 cup honey
• Fresh thyme
• 4 cups of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes OR 4 cups red seedless grapes, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces

Here are some DVDs in the Eagles Nest collection we also included some wine education and appreciation DVDs.

Please comment/share regarding other good wine DVDs you know of…

Bottle Shock (2008)

This is a comic drama. “Bottle Shock,” focuses on a significant (but obscure for the non-wine consuming American pubic) event that occurred in 1976 – a European wine competition that shockingly ranked a Napa Valley wine above French counterparts. The movie received mixed reviews for it’s often stereotypical depictions of the wine industry and its unnecessarily schlocky depiction of the early years of the Napa wine industry. E.g. below tasting room hosted out of a cheap camping trailer…

The independent film is loosely based on the famous 1976 blind tasting in Paris in which two California wines came out on top, much to the chagrin of the expert — and very French — wine tasters.

Directed by husband-wife filmmaking team of Randall Miller and Jody Savin, the film stars Alan Rickman as British-born, Paris-based wine merchant Steven Spurrier, who organized the tasting; Bill Pullman as Jim Barrett, the beleaguered owner of Chateau Montelena (which won for its 1973 Alexander Valley Chardonnay); and Chris Pine as Jim’s long-haired son Bo Barrett.

Click here for Bottle Shock trailer video clip

Merlove (2007)

Finally available for pre-release ordering click here (regular price after Nov 13, 2009),  Merlove is an independent documentary celebrating Merlot wine in response to the movie Sideways that is making it’s way around the country at wine events and popular wine destinations. From the website: “Have the courage to embark on your own wine adventure. Merlove will help you learn more about wine, but it is your own experience that will guide your personal journey. As you try new wines you will gain love and appreciation for the gifts that wine can bring. Like anything in life, wine can be enjoyed and enhanced by sharing it with others. The bottom line is good wine is good wine and bad wine is bad wine, but that should not stop the adventure.

The message of Merlove is that no single grape varietal should be singled out as superior or inferior to others. Enjoy as we interweave documentary style film making with the animation of a bottle of Merlot wine named “Merlove” who must find a way to fill itself with love when aimlessly tossed into the ocean of mediocre Merlot wine. Merlove is not yet out on DVD.

Click here to order your copy of the Merlove DVD.

Merlove DVD Cover

Click here for a Merlove Trailer Video Clip.

A Good Year (2006)

This movie was nowhere near as acclaimed as Sideways: some people might have a hard time saying A Good Year was a good movie. Still, it captured the essence of the wine industry from the inside out.  Set in southeastern France, this movie features Max Skinner (Russell Crowe), a seemingly heartless investor who inherits a large vineyard from his uncle. Thanks to wine, women, and the weather, Max evolves from a sullen man into one who can appreciate the little, and big, things in life.

While A Good Year did not appear to have a direct impact on wine sales like Sideways did, it is fair to say that the scenery of Provence didn’t hurt tourism. Filmed at Chateau La Canorgue during the 2005 harvest, the shots of the vineyards are truly enough to make anyone start searching for both their passport and their berets.

Click here for A Good Year trailer video clip

Sideways (2004)

If ever there were a movie the wine industry should toast, it is this one. This movie tells the tale of Miles, a washed up (San Diego) English teacher, and Jack, an engaged actor (Hollywood) , who travel to the Santa Ynez Valley for a week long wine tour. Miles wants merely to drink wine, while Jack wants to meet women before he says, “I do.” When they meet Maya and Stephanie, a waitress and a winery employee, their hopes of finding wine leads them to find something greater.

Sideways was a critically acclaimed film, winning an Academy Award, two Golden Globes, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Not only did it launch the careers of several unknown actors and actresses, but it also lit a fire under the wine industry. In fact, it is rumored that the sales of Pinot Noir – thanks to a speech Miles gives portraying his love for this grape – saw a twenty percent rise after the movie’s release. On the flip side, Merlot, which Miles detests throughout the film, saw sales drop.

Click here for Sideways trailer video clip

Mondovino (2004)

Unlike the other movies and shows listed, Mondovino is a documentary, a true tale revealing how mass globalization impacts the wine industry. Translated to mean “World of Wine,” this film not only displays the influence that people like Robert Parker and Michel Rolland have on dictating what wine is and is not good, but it shows the struggles of both the small and large wineries in their voyage for the vine.

Written and directed by Jonathan Nossiter, a trained sommelier, Mondovino was well received by both critics and the general population. Nominated for a Golden Palm Award and Cesar Award, it was featured at a large number of notable film festivals. Leaving no grape leaf unturned, Mondovino involved travel to vineyards everywhere from California to France to Brazil.

No trailer video is available on the Internet.

A Walk in the Clouds (1995)

This older DVD is a special find/hidden treasure with a romantic story line.  Yes it of course includes a few vineyard/winery scenes. The story which explores family values, includes inter-family confilict, father son-in-law tensions and romantic love.

Character Paul Sutton a WWII soldier played by Keanu Reeves, comes home to California, meets a woman named Victoria played by Aitana Sanchez-Gijon on a train in a somewhat awkward comedic scene. After hearing Victoria’s plight, Paul agrees to pose as Victoria’s husband and meet her family to cover her illegitimate pregnancy from a departed lover. Paul (Reeves) joins Victoria in visiting her family at their large winery/vineyard.

The vineyard scene include Victoria in the vineyards as she and the rest of the family enact a traditional celebration to promote the health of the harvest. An otherwise routine  grape crushing scene was portrayed in the movie as a sensuous event.

While this movie is a relative unknown. It included good acting on the part of Keanu Reeves. The father son-in-law conflict with Victoria’s father, Alberto, (Giancarlo Giannini) was well played.  Other actors included Anthony Quinn as the family patriarch Don Pedro, Victoria’s grandfather. Don Pedro buffers the conflict between Alberto and Paul. See the movie trailer here.

Falcon Crest (1981-1990)

A a very popular prime time TV soap opera series that ran for a very respectable nine years/seasons but is only recently being released on DVD. This series was popular both domestically and in Europe.

Falcon Crest followed the lives of the Channings and the Giobertis, two feuding wine families who lived in the Tuscany Valley (a fictional town set up to resemble Napa Valley). Involving love affairs, interpersonal conflict, death, and even an evil neo-Nazi cartel, this was a series offered sensationalism. We still have a bottle of Falcon Crest wine somewhere… long since gone bad.

Written specifically about the wine industry, Falcon Crest featured sets located on actual vineyards and showcased the lives of those working in wineries. It not only succeeded in bringing wine to the television screen. This is not yet available in DVD in the USA/Canada but was released in Germany in 2009

Click here for Falcon Crest trailer video clip

Some educational/wine appreciation videos in the Cottage library include:

• PBS Series Uncorked Wine Made Simple
• Jancis Robinson’s Wine Course
• Enjoying Wines with Mark Phillips
• Graham Kerr Lifestyles: Food, Wine, Heart, & Health
• An Introductory Guide to Wine
• Wines of Northern Italy
• Wines of Central and Southern Italy
• Wine for Dummies

Eagles Nest believes the wine lifestyle is to be shared and enjoyed with all.  Our many musically gifted friends are inspired to share their talent  on Eagles Nest’s veranda that overlooks the vineyards and the scenic west Ramona Valley.

The music spans the range from classic Opera to acoustic guitar and everything in between.

We enjoyed Tiamo Devettori (http://tiamomusic.com) and his acoustic guitar, and at a prior gathering we hosted a Internet virtual live-streamed “virtual wine tasting”  introduced with wonderful Operatic Aria from Melissa Carter of Everyday Opera in San Diego (http://everydayopera.ning.com).

After a long hot day in the vineyards installing bird netting (also stops the squirrels) we spent sunset with the friends that helped us (including Tiamo – he’s a real guy too)  and our exquisite 07 Estate Syrah wine. We enjoyed  heartfelt acoustic serenades from Tiamo Devettori – a very talented pop folk acoustic rock guitar songwriter and singer with a style reminiscent of Jason Mraz & John Mayer. You can visit Tiamo at http://tiamomusic.com . Video above.

This Melissa Carter and her operatic aria portion of our tasting video stream

This the Port tasting portion of our video stream (~10 minutes in length)

If it’s not the grapes it’s the wine – if not the wine – it’s the grapes…

The farming aspects of wine grapes and the biological aspects of wine making are the most uncertain and

Beautiful grapes, blue sky & ENW cottage in the background

challenging elements facing winemakers and grape growers.

In the spring,  when necessary, I spent the day on the tractor tilling and weeding the vineyards – although dormant, they look great!!! Each new season is a renewal of life, and March bud break is the harbinger of fall harvest work to come.

Following a sustainable farming and operations philosophy, we haven’t used any pesticides or herbicides in our vineyards. Growing and pest conditions have thankfully been highly beneficial with the exception for late season juice-hungry wasps and yellow jackets that had a focused taste for our estate Tempranillo grapes… See this blog post the a discussion of sustainable, organic, and biodynamic farming techniques (Click here).

Dormant west vineyards freshly tilled

Above 2009 photo of the west vineyard that contributed several TONS of grapes to our 2008 harvest depicts the pre-bud break visage of a bunch of sticks — No vibrant green grape leaves or luscious post veraison (color change) fruit clusters – like below from 2008 photo w/the cottage in the background…

The now dormant vines, all tied and pruned for the upcoming 2009 growing season look to be in great shape. This spring we helped friends plant a vineyard on their estate. We keep friends and followers all tuned into the activity schedule via our private blog http://eaglesnestwinery.ning.com.

Pruned and tied cordons ready for the growing season

Photo left shows 2009 pre-pruned vines and cordon tying. We’ve elected to leave a few extra buds on the spur to insure we get at least two good buds after any possible frost. Some vineyards drastically prune back to two buds and if they freeze – well there’s always next year… we can’t afford that risk with our operation – we need quality estate grapes every year.  If we have too many buds, we’ll pinch them off when they are fragile little greenies.

BTW, green growth on vines is very fragile – it’s similar to the tops of celery stalks city folks see in the produce department – only more fragile. Bend and snap a crisp celery leaf top  sometime.

Leafpulled, mid season pruned vineyard row

Farming an acre of winegrapes is significantly more labor intensive than an acre of wheat in Kansas. I’ve seen data indicating a few manhours/acre for wheat to well over 200 manhours per acre for winegrapes.

Pictured right is a mid-season pruned, leaf thinned vineyard row reflecting canopy management and cluster thinning techniques – we wish they grew this way naturally (without our help (labor) ! Eagles Nest vacation villa/cottage is in the background

Parts of a grape vine

Annual Wine Grape Growing Growing Cycle (Northern Hemisphere)

Remember in the Southern hemisphere the seasons are 6 months off ours – Winter in in USA, Summer in Australia, South America, and Africa. Australia, Chile, Argentina and South Africa have their grape harvests in just a few months! We follow in September through November.

Once planted, grape vines take about two-four years to begin producing fruit suitable for making into wine, although a very small first season yield is possible. Once established, the vines can produce fruit for many years – most productively to the 25 years point but vines can still produce up to a century after their first harvest (think old or ancient vine Zinfandel) with diminished yields.

Vineyards are farms that follow a continuous cycle of preparation, production and harvest. The growth cycle starts in the spring but I’ll start with the first month of the calendar year…

January – Wet weather and grey skies accompany the workers that aggressively prune the vines. The discarded vine clippings get mulched as the cover crops are mowed or the soil tilled.

February into March – Pruning wraps up and the cycle starts again

March/April – The visible growth cycle starts – the buds on the vines begin to leaf. This is called bud break. With the re-introduction of leaves, photosynthesis begins to nourish the vine. Frost is a threat to the vines at this time. In northern areas vineyards protect their crops with sprinklers may be used to provide a protective insulating layer of ice around the tender buds. Sounds odd ice to keep the buds “warm” but it works.

May – The vines begin their subtle bloom. The bloom is usually complete by late May and is followed by the fruit set. The nutritional state of the vines is checked and plan for the application of organic fertilizers. The new vertical shoots are positioned correctly by the use of the trellis while rainfall and soil moisture are carefully monitored at this time.

June – Fertilizer may be applied this month and the moisture levels in the ground are watched closely. If needed, drip irrigation is used to water the soil around the vines. Leaves are thinned, improving ventilation around white grapes and boosting the color of the reds. The grape clusters are thinned out if the crop is bountiful. Thinning is done to improve the overall quality of the grapes (a single vine can properly support and ripen a certain quantity of clusters – too many will negatively impact quality).

July – The ripening begins, “white” grapes change color from green to yellowish-green and the “reds” turn from green to purple. This is called verasion, and usually starts towards the end of the month.

August -The veraison begun in late July completes. By this time the berries have nearly doubled their size and developed deep color. In some vineyards, irrigation may be reduced or stopped. Attention now turns to the sugar and acid levels in the grapes.

September – This is a wonderful time in the vineyard. Harvest is approaching and the weather is fantastic. The sugar level are carefully monitored using refractometers and the wine makers and grape growers judge when bring in the harvest.

October – This is the month when the bulk of the harvest takes place. Some vineyards harvest by night or just prior to dawn to avoid having the grapes off the vine in the heat of the day. When the grapes are harvested the vines get a good soaking of water to help replenish nutrients in preparation for the following year. Cover crops may be planted to limit erosion from winter rainstorms. and there may be some fertilization of the vines depending on their needs.

Beautiful Fall vineyards Michele Schlumberger Winery, Healdsburg, CA

Right, is a beautiful post harvest fall colors photo taken during a 4-mile walking tour of the Michelle Schlumberger Winery’s October 2008 vineyards (Dry Creek, Sonoma California). Photo by Amy Corron Power – a Texas Wine Blogger (http://anotherwineblog.com) we met at WBC 08. She’s great and wrote an excellent blog post on the tour – one of the best tours we’ve ever had. Please visit and comment on her post at http://www.anotherwineblog.com/archives/697

November – The last of the harvest is completed by the middle of the month. Seasonal rains are rarely a threat in Southern California but a risk in the November (late) harvest season.

December – Pruning of the vines might get underway. Tests are performed to predict how fruitful the next buds will be. The degree of pruning depends on these tests.

January – Wet weather and gray skies accompany the workers that prune the vines. The discarded vine clippings get mulched as the cover crops are mowed.

February into March – Pruning wraps up and the cycle starts again

Image from CATAVINO.net

This can include multi-media such as live streaming video from the winery with the winemaker and possibly include related events like music, fine foods, or friends at either or both ends of the information exchange. The point is to have FUN and enjoy wine.

Visiting a winery and its vineyards is one of the ultimate personal wine tourism experiences, but the cost and challenge of a multi-day travel vacation in these terribly down economic times requires creative alternatives on the part of tourists, wine consumers, and wineries. Thus our outreach with web 2.0 and streaming video virtual wine tasting.

Another wine tourism option for those fortunate enough to live in a wine region large or small is a “staycation” a newly coined word describing for a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions.

Staycations have achieved high popularity in current hard economic times in which unemployment levels and gas prices are high.Common activities of a staycation include use of the backyard pool, visits to local parks and museums, and attendance at local festivals.

Some staycationers also like to follow a set of rules, such as setting a start and end date, planning ahead, and avoiding routine, with the goal of creating the feel of a traditional vacation.

Essence of a Staycation...

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

We all need a break from the work-a-day life and a short, close vacation is just as beneficial and relaxing as a longer one that piles up work in your in-box ironically making returning to work a stressful event.

For folks in Southern California, Eagles Nest Winery and Cottage offers a luxury wine experience in a Italian, Wine-themed venue complete with vineyards fountains, breathtaking views, and heated whirlpool tub for two.

Eagles Nest Vacation Villa is located only 32 miles or minutes northwest of Downtown San Diego but it’s truly a world apart with its million dollar views, lush vineyards, fountain, and roses. We’re two hours from most of the LA region – and we offer a welcome respite from the warmth of the Arizona summer heat.

Guests are offered a personal tour of the winery and vineyards by the wine maker and vineyard manager.

Visits by the estate’s friendly crew of weed eating Baby Doll Sheep, is a guest favorite as are the Winery’s Dobie and Sheltie dogs. Wild life lovers are treated to the serene call of Red-Tailed Hawks that majestically soar above.

Special ametities include a wine themed DVD library and flat screen LCD TV, iPod docks, gourmet stainless and granite kitchen with gas stove and outdoor grill.  The whirlpool tub is pictured to the right.

A bath basket with lotions and soap and a fresh floral display are also included as part of each  premium stay package.

Please visit our Eagles Nest Winery & Cottage website for more photos and information.   Ciao!

“Right here in San Diego County, the Eagles Nest Winery in Ramona has purchased 3 Baby Doll sheep and put them to work in their vineyard…  Stop by and see them some time!”

Getting “sheepish” about vineyard labor

John Alonge – SD Examiner.com May 29, 1:00 PM

Baby Doll sheep are built close to the ground

Folks involved in the world of wineries and vineyards have focused a lot of attention of late on things like organics, biodynamics and carbon footprint. There’s a strong groundswell in the business to become better stewards of the land and to do right by the planet. What if there were a way to practice grass and weed control (very important in vineyards) while cutting fuel costs in half? Enter the Baby Doll sheep.

Baby Doll sheep were originally bred in Sussex County in England. They were first imported into the USA in the early 1800s. One particularity of the breed is that they grow to a maximum height of about 24 inches at the shoulder. What makes that fact critically important is that it means the sheep, when introduced into a vineyard for grass and weed control, are too short to eat the grapes off the vines.

This makes Baby Doll sheep ideal vineyard caretakers. They are left to roam freely among the rows of vines, contentedly munching everything growing on the ground while leaving the precious fruit undisturbed. Usually, weed control in vineyards is performed using tractors. Many vineyard operations use about half of their fuel on this single aspect of growing grapes. With a relatively small population of Baby Doll sheep present, the problem is solved in a very ecologically-friendly manner.

There are other benefits to employing the sheep, too. They provide natural fertilizer and can supply milk and wool as well. They require relatively little maintenance, considering all the advantages they bring to a vineyard. Additionally, the little sheep are cute as heck and their contented bleeting as they go about their business has a very soothing quality to it.

More and more wineries are beginning to introduce the Baby Doll sheep into their operations. Good examples are the Navarro Winery in the Anderson Valley and the Kiger Family Winery in Sonoma County. Right here in San Diego County, the Eagles Nest Winery in Ramona has purchased 3 Baby Doll sheep and put them to work in their vineyard. They plan on adding a breeding pair in the near future. Stop by and see them some time!

We back up that claim with awards – 100% of our 2007-2008 vintage wines and Ports have won thirty (30) medals in highly credible International, National, and Regional wine competitions within in the 2009-2010 competition season.

The near-daily marine (fog) layer offers a dynamic (and enchanting)  real-life scene for Eagles Nest Villa/Cottage guests each morning, and insight into the excellent climate and winegrape growing conditions of the Ramona Valley.

Located 20 miles from the Pacific coast to the west, and 20 miles from the Sonora Desert to the east – the AVA’s weather pattern gives us a desirable cooling effect for the vines in the evenings and at night,  readying them for the following long warm growing day temperatures.

If you wanted to farm excellent table grapes, California’s Central Valley is a great place with its long hot days, warm evenings and nights that produce large, high sugar, low acid grapes.

This, however is not the climate you need for growing quality wine grapes - which need cool evenings and nights to maintain a balance between sugars and acids. No one likes a flat/flabby low acid wine – thus grapes grown in hot regions would not make a good choice for wine making.

Please visit us at http://eaglesnestwinery.com Click here! see our vineyards and experience the enchanting fog/marine layer for yourself by visiting us at Eagles Nest Vacation Villa/Cottage.  Read our actual guest comments- Click here!

Below are some sequential photos taken in May, before we started positioning the vertical shoot growth in the vineyards. You can see the marine layer dissipate as the morning sun warms it.

5: 55 AM Pre-sunrise

6:30 AM The sun begins to warm the marine/fog layer and it rises

6:51 AM The fog begins to dissipate

7:04 AM The fog further dissipates

7:30 AM Further dissipation…

Here’s a photo the next day showing ground fog only, no marine layer