Wentworth Vineyard

Wentworth Vineyard is a distinct and prized viticultural site located within the coastal redwood forest near the Mendocino Coast. Mark bought the site above Elk, CA in 2014 with a vision to plant and grow cool climate varietals and make terroir-driven wines. Just 3.5 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the vineyard is among the Western-most vineyards in the Continental United States and benefits from the maritime influence.

Wentworth Vineyard is part of the Mendocino Ridge American Viticultural Area (AVA) at elevations ranging from 1,200 to 1260 feet. The vineyard is broadly surrounded by an evergreen forest primarily composed of Coastal Redwoods and Douglas Firs.

The maritime influence is a defining dimension to the terroir due to the proximity and impact of the Pacific Ocean. The site is late-ripening due to a particularly cool microclimate within the broader California Coast Range where fog and the coastal winds lower temperatures and bring moisture. Cooling breezes frequently move across the vineyard throughout the growing season. At times the vineyard is engulfed in fog, and other times, perched just above the fog line. The soils are alluvial, with great drainage- very limited top soil resting atop loam and clay, crushed sandstone, fractured shale and ancient seabed. We minimize tillage in the vineyard and apply compost regularly as we sow a cover crop in the interests of enhancing soil health. Most of the vineyard was formerly pasture, hosting sheep, horses and cattle over the years.

We are proud to farm organically and regeneratively - and have done so since becoming stewards of this land. Although our farming approach is labor intensive, we believe it is the right way forward and honors the broader ecosystem of which we are a small part. We have embraced elements of the ecological and biodynamic schools of agriculture in our farming practices at Wentworth and across our other Estate vineyard sites.

The site is well suited to growing Burgundian grape varietals such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and Aligoté. To date, we have planted approximately eight acres to vines in total at Wentworth Vineyard- predominantly Pinot Noir, with nearly two acres of Chardonnay and smaller plantings of Aligoté and Grüner Veltliner. The Pinot clones are diverse, and include Dijon 113, 115, 667, 777, both 828 variants, 943, Pommard 4 and 5, Wädenswil, Swan, 37, and Calera.  The Chardonnay is a mix of clones 95 and 112. Our Grüner Veltliner is GV 1.  The vines grow primarily on two rootstocks; 101-14, and 3309 in addition to roughly an acre of own-rooted Pinot Noir vines.