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The Henry Wine Group
September–December 2017
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This is the way Napa Valley used to be farmed; until
the mid-1970s when agribusiness and irrigation
companies convinced growers that converting to drip
irrigation would give them larger yields. The problem
with this type of irrigation system, though, is that the
vines’ root system has no need to go deep into the
soil to find water, as all of the water is at the surface.
So, can there be such a notion as “Terroir” when this
is the farming method? John thinks not. According
to John, “Grapevines are living, sentient beings with
their days and nights consumed by concern for vital
life choices…vines make critical decisions each and
every day. So how does a grapevine make these
decisions? They do so by taking information from
their environment.” As we walked the vineyard, Rory
pointed out how the tips of the tendrils on a vine have
stopped reaching upwards. “This vine has decided
that it has enough growth in terms of vegetation and
it can now focus its energies on ripening its fruit.”
John goes on to say “But what happens so often in
most vineyards? The vines are lined up, their branches
forced into restrictive trellising and their growing tips
are cut off. They are exposed to toxic pesticides and
fed strong, synthetic fertilizers. They are forced to drink
water when they are not thirsty. Birds are discouraged,
insects are killed, and the oak tree is cut down. So
much of modern farming is dedicated to removing the
very information that these plants need to succeed. In
this light our farming choices are not radical concepts
but rather the very basics of what must be done to
reunite a vine with its environment.” The health of
the vines and health of the soil bear this out. We dug
a small distance into the dirt. Indeed, only 4 to 6
inches down I found soil that was rich in microbial
life and earthworm population. A pound of this kind
of healthy soil can hold 9 pounds of water!! Who
needs irrigation when this can be achieved with some
diligence and care?
In 1993, Larry Turley sold his share of the winery to
the Williams family, and went on to some (!) success
himself. The winery moves to the Red Barn property
and begins replanting the phyloxerra- ridden vines
on the property and converting that vineyard to
dry farming. In 1999 Frog’s Leap releases its first
“Rutherford” bottling.
In 2006, the new hospitality center and administrative
offices are completed; the new “old” farmhouse is the
first LEED (Silver) certified building in the California
wine industry. The Rossi vineyard is bought a year
later, and replanting and conversion to dry farming
begins there. In 2013, Frank Leeds is named “Grower
of the Year” by the Napa Valley Grapegrowers
Association, and Rory Williams becomes vineyardist. A
year later, the first vintage of Estate Grown and Bottled
Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon is released.
We end my visit at John and his wife Tori’s house,
the old Rossi estate, overlooking the stunning vines
planted on the famed Rutherford Bench, with the
Mayacamas
Mountains in the
near distance and
the sun setting on a
beautiful evening.
We open older
vintages of Frog’s
Leap wines, such
as 1997 Cabernet
(rocking good)
and 1986 Merlot
alongside the same
vintage of Ch.
Figeac St. Emilion
(the Frog’s Leap is
deserving of the
company). We
dine on melons
from the organic
garden wrapped
in prosciutto, and
lamb chops from
the grill. We toast
to the past, present, and future.
So what do I take away from my visit to Frog’s Leap
Winery? Here are a few impressions
:
A man, a family,
with a great passion for wine and dedication to doing
what is right….a team at the hospitality center that
takes that word, hospitality, at its face value and lives
it. A general manager, Jonah Beer, who knows more
about viticulture that any GM I have ever met at a
winery. A sales team, Michelle and Kristy, who believe
in their product with all of their hearts and therefore
have a blast selling it. Happy, content vines planted
on living, breathing soil. A clean environment and
sustainability for the future. And in Rory’s hands, a
very bright future indeed.
Tasting notes on following page.