Photos of Monte Rosso Vineyard

Today was one of the days that makes me love my job more than normal. On a clear, bright, morning I embarked northward from Sonoma to visit some of the vineyards I buy fruit from. At this point, we are done with flowering and fruitset, and are in the early part of a period where berry size increases at an amazing rate. Up in Dry Creek the Zinfandel berries are probably the most developed of any fruit out there right now, while in contrast, Cabernet from Monte Rosso and Bedrock are just tiny. It is amazing to think that in just a few short months fruit is going to be soaring in sugar and ready to pick.

My first stop was at Monte Rosso Vineyard. A stunningly clear morning, I was able to take some pictures of this historic property. I lived for a couple of years just below Monte Rosso in a quaint cabin when I was a kid– I mean the place had an outside shower. Quaint. The summer smell of bay and dust in the air, the skin peeling from the smooth red hide of the manzanita trees, and the mountain scrub oaks, all brought back a flock of memories.

Though set is not perfect anywhere this year– we had terrible conditions of heat and wind– my block of Cabernet is certainly better than some of the vines put out on a quadrilateral trellis. As you can see, there is excellent shoot length, and the mediocre set will guarantee balanced crop levels (it just might be hard on the destemmer when the fruit comes in!).

Below are photos of the original Mt. Pisgah winery, built in 1886, of the Cabernet block, the red soil from which the Monte Rosso name is derived, and one of the many spectacular views from the vineyard.