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Tuesday, November 24, 2011,
The story of our
estate Endeavour vineyard goes back to the early
90s when Don Wallace, then a young and energetic
vineyard manager, was fascinated with how
technology and farming were
being used to plant new
 vineyards. Commenting on
those early times, Don says there was not a lot
science behind vineyard development. “Back in
the early 70s when we first got our start,
vineyard development was really done sort of
willy-nilly – there wasn’t much rhyme or reason
as to why and where grapes were planted. As a
young guy coming up in the business, I thought
there could be a better way of doing things.”
As the winery
continued to grow, a need for more Cabernet
Sauvignon grapes sent Don on a chase for a new
vineyard site. For almost five years, he
scoured the Dry Creek Valley for the ideal
location. Using an airplane and topographic
maps, Don zeroed in on the Lytton Springs area
as a possible locale for a new vineyard. “I saw
this area from the air and it just looked
perfect. Then, when I actually walked the
ground, I knew this was it. The combination of
excellent soil conditions, drainage and sun
exposure were ideal.” There were other
desirable characteristics as well. In looking
to create a sustainable vineyard ecosystem, it
was obvious that the amphitheater-style setting
would allow for rain water sheet flow –
essentially creating a natural pond and giving
the vineyard its own water source.
The planting of
Endeavour vineyard was yet another technology
driven effort. Working with Vineyard Manager
Duff Bevill, Don and Duff implemented a concept
called intermittent vine planting. Using
topographic maps and soil quality analysis, they
were able to determine which parts of the
vineyard had lower soil fertility versus other
areas that had higher soil fertility. In
planting the vines, areas that were higher in
fertility had more spacing and those lower in
fertility were planted closer together.  The
result is a vineyard that maintains a closed
loop system - completely sustainable and able to
maintain and moderate yields on its own. In
other words, at Endeavour vineyard we do very
little leaf thinning and drop almost no fruit
during the growing season. The vineyard is able
to moderate itself throughout the cycle of the
season.
Walking Endeavour vineyard is a real treat.
The vineyard is alive with all manner of
insects, birds and water fowl. With 30 acres
of vines planted, more than half of Endeavour is
Cabernet Sauvignon with Zinfandel, Petite Sirah
and Petit Verdot rounding out the acreage. The
vineyard is pristine with rolling hillsides that
face mostly west in an effort to soak up as much
afternoon sun as possible. As Don walks and
talks more about his “baby” there is a sense of
pride in his voice. “All of the collective
vineyard experience and knowledge that I have
accumulated went into this vineyard. It’s so
rewarding see our efforts pay off. “ |
