Lia's Vineyard

The Vineyard

Vineyard Row

Geography: Lia’s Vineyard is situated in the Chahalem Mountains AVA in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. The elevation ranges from 380 to 560 feet and the aspect is primarily due south. The soils are mostly jory, a dark reddish brown silty clay loam. We believe the soils combined with the climate are what lend our grapes their unique character.

The Vines: The vineyard is planted to five pinot noir clones - Wädenswil, Pommard, 115, 667, and Mariafeld (aka UCD23), and one clone of Chardonnay (Wente). The Pommard, Wädenswil and Chardonnay are all own-rooted with plantings from 1990 to 1993. The newer plantings (1999-2002) are all on 101-14 rootstock. Spacing is 5x9 with VSP trellising. The vines aren’t irrigated - we hold that dry farming tends to produce more balanced vines and better fruit.

In 2009 we added 3.75 more acres of pinot noir on the west side of the vineyard. We planted Dijon clones 114, 777 and 828 on 101-14, riparia gloire and SO4 rootstocks. The young vines are thriving and we are looking forward to harvesting a few tons of fruit in 2012.

Photo of Javier

Management: We believe a healthy vineyard is one that is in harmony with the surrounding nature. We respect the hawks, rabbits (usually hiding from the hawks), moles, deer, elk, coyotes, raccoons, frogs and other wildlife that make our vineyard and its surrounding grounds their home. We farm with a light touch, using gentle chemicals and limited intervention. Much of the vineyard work is done by hand - pruning, tying, shoot positioning, shoot thinning, hedging, leaf pulling, fruit thinning and harvesting. We work the vines alongside Javier Marin, our vineyard manager. Javier has more than 20 years experience tending vines in the Willamette Valley and previously worked as vineyard manager at Shea Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton District.