The Romans used to say, "Hills Produce Great Wine." Around the world, great wine is grown on slopes. Alder Springs Vineyard is no different. Our fractured soils and steep slopes allow the water to drain quickly and soils to heat up faster. The steeper the slope, the better sun exposure each vine gets, which is particularly important in cool climate sites like Alder Springs Vineyard.
Harvest is an exciting but busy time on the vineyard. Our crew works hard night and day. Most of the harvest happens by moonlight so the grapes can be transported to the wineries before daybreak and the grapes remain cool and clean.
Alder Springs Vineyard has a location unique in all of California winemaking
Chosen by Stuart Bewely after a careful study of more than 40 sites, this is how the vineyard began as a ranch.
"This is an immaculately groomed vineyard under the supervision of owner Stuart Bewley. It has innovative clones, state of the art rootstock and superior trellising on superior soils."Scott Shapley, Roessler Cellars
The vineyard is located in far northern Mendocino County on the 6,000-acre Alder Springs Ranch. Just 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the site is an ecological gem as well as the ideal place to grow grapes.
The hilly landscape climbs to 4,000 feet and offers nearly perfect growing conditions: bright sun, cool nights, phenomenal low-vigor soils. Since 1993 we've planted about 140 acres of grapes at elevations ranging from 1,700 to 2,700 feet.
Our obsessive, hands-on attention to each vine, yields small, complex, and intense flavorful berries. Alder Springs' Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Rhone varieties have won a devoted following among top boutique wineries, including Patz & Hall, Behrens & Hitchcock, Arnot-Roberts, and Copain.