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Associate Member of   
-------------------------------------------- Muns
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Branciforte Ridge
------------------------------------------------------- Thomas
Fogarty ----------------------------------------------- McCarthy
Ranch
Windy Oaks
Silver Mountain
Harvest 2013
The Santa Cruz Mountains saw an early harvest this year. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
started coming into wineries in late August! The ripening is exceptional
this vintage and yield is high. By early October, most of the Pinot Noir
and Chardonnay was in the wineries with other varieties still coming in.
The near-perfect weather throughout the growing season produced one of the best
vineyard years many have ever experienced. This follows a spectacular 2012
to compensate growers for the very challenging vintages of 2010 and 2011.
Because there were no weather extremes, particularly temperature and
mid-season rainfall, the vines developed at maximum potential, never shutting
down temporarily due to Mother Nature. Accordingly, many vineyards
achieved target ripening up to 2 weeks earlier than a "normal" year. We
also saw higher Brix development without dehydration due to the plants having
plenty of reserves to drive their ripening processes.
See this article in
Wines & Vines Magazine about harvest in the Santa Cruz Mountains:
Coastal Wine Harvest is Early and Booming: Santa Cruz Mountains growers enjoy
spectacular 2013 season, by Jane Firstenfeld
Wines & Vines, 10.09.2013
Following what they are calling a "phenomenal growing season," most wine grape
growers in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA just south of San Francisco are "totally
jazzed about this year's vintage,"... see more
here.
Meetings & Events
- Agroecological Principles for Vineyard Floor Management,
Wednesday, Oct. 16, 6pm
with Steve Gliessman, UCSC Professor Emeritus, Alfred E. Heller Professor of
Agroecology and Founder, UCSC Agroecology Program; and vineyard owner,
Condor's Hope Winery in Santa Barbara.
Steve Gliessman will talk about balancing the decisions to be made in the
vineyard about the often competing practices of cover cropping, cultivation
timing, and soil moisture management.
Where:
Equinox/Bartolo Winery
427 Swift St., Unit C (around the back of the building)
- this is on the westside, off of Hwy. 1
About Steven R. Gliessman:
Gliessman is an internationally recognized leader in the field of
agroecology. He was the founding director of the UCSC Agroecology Program;
he founded and directs the Program in Community and Agroecology (PICA), an
experiential living/learning program at UCSC; he heads UCSC’s Agroecology
Research Group, an interdisciplinary body of faculty, students and others in
the agroecological community; and he is the author of numerous books and
articles.
Gliessman defines agroecology as the application of ecological concepts
and principles to the design and management of sustainable food systems.
Research has included the conversion of conventional cropping systems to
ecologically-based management; and the interface between agroecosystems and
natural ecosystems.
Gliessman owns Condor's Hope Ranch
in Santa Barbara County, an organic orchard and vineyard.
Recent Meetings
Latest News
- The Santa Cruz Sentinel's Ag Almanac, May 19, 2013:
story on our
sustainable vineyard practices in the Santa Cruz Mountains, by Justine
DaCosta.
- The Santa Cruz Sentinel, March 2013: ad on SCM vineyards,
sponsored by VASCM. (Click on the thumbnail below to view full size.)
- Annual EQIP Funding through the NRCS: Applications will come
due toward the end of 2013. Prior to the deadline you need to:
- Fill out and sign a standard
Request for
Assistance form, and submit it to the county-appropriate NRCS
representative listed below. This will initiate the scheduling of a site visit
and resource assessment.
- Then you will need to contact and meet with the USDA Farm Services Agency
in Salinas to start the eligibility determination process. Contact Vivian
Soffa, 831-424-1036, ext. 108
There is EQIP funding in every CA county:
- In Santa Cruz County:
Rich Casale, (831) 475-1967
- In Santa Clara County contact Bob Rohde
or Athena Pratt at (831) 637-4360.
- In San Mateo County contact Jim Howard at
(650) 726-4660.
For more information about EQIP, read this
program description provided by Rich Casale.
- The Santa Cruz Mountains is "the finest place within California to grow
Pinot. It is interesting to see such a small area have such an impact on this
varietal."' - Scott Clemings, Epicurean Traveler, in a video interview
at Pinot Paradise. See the
interview on the VASCM YouTube Channel.
- New Sub-regions for the Santa Cruz Mountains: VASCM has worked with
AppellationAmerica.com on a series of tastings evaluating Santa Cruz Mountains
wines produced from our vineyards, and in the process we have defined five
subregions characterized by distinct flavor profiles. They are: Skyline; Los
Gatos/Saratoga; Summit; Los Ranchos (Hwy. 17 corridor to Santa Cruz);
Corralitos/Pleasant Valley. Read more about the subregions and their flavor
profiles here. Read more about the subregions
and flavor profiles of the three varietals we evaluated -- Chardonnay,
Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon/Bordeaux -- on the
AppellationAmerica.com website.
Members of the Viticulture Association of the Santa Cruz Mountains (VASCM)
are premium winegrape growers in the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation.
Meetings are held bi-monthly with topics that promote quality winegrape
production.
Our Mission
To serve the common interests of all Santa Cruz Mountains appellation
winegrape producers, and to enhance the quality, profitability and
reputation of winegrape production in the appellation through promotion
and education.
Association Profile
President: Mary
Lindsay
Vice President:
Rachel Ormes
Secretary: June Salsbury
Treasurer:
Bruce Manildi
Past Presidents: Prudy Foxx,
Bruce Manildi
Contact Information
- Media Contact
- Mary Lindsay
- Telephone
- 408-984-7242
- FAX
- 408-317-9305
- Postal address
- P.O. Box 8092, Santa Cruz, CA 95061-8092
- Electronic mail
- General Information:
info@vascm.org
Webmaster:
webmaster@vascm.org
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Viticulture Association of the Santa Cruz Mountains
