Wentworth Vineyard

Wentworth Vineyard is a distinct and prized viticultural site located in California’s Redwood forest near the Mendocino Coast. Sited atop a ridge near the Pacific Ocean, Mark bought the land in 2014 with the vision to plant and grow cool climate varietals and a dream of making unique terroir-driven wines.

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 across our Estate vineyards.

Wentworth Vineyard is located in the Mendocino Ridge American Viticultural Area (AVA) on Greenwood Ridge, 3.5 miles from the Pacific Ocean. It is sited within an evergreen forest primarily composed of Coastal Redwoods and Douglas Firs. The vineyard is at elevations ranging from 1,200 to 1260 feet near the village of Elk, CA (population +/- 250). It is among the Western-most vineyards in the Continental United States- further West of vineyards in other regions of California or the Pacific Northwest.

The terroir is distinct, thanks largely to the proximity of the Pacific Ocean–from which our ancient soils are derived and to the site’s particularly cool microclimate within the redwood belt of the broader California Coast Range. The cooling breezes which frequently roll across the vineyard throughout the growing season just above the fog line contribute much as well. The fog and the coastal winds lower temperatures and bring moisture during the typically dry California summer which helps nurture our Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Aligoté, and Grüner Veltliner, helping us to get closer to our goal of dry-farming the cool-climate site. The soils are alluvial, with limited top soil, loam and clay atop crushed sandstone and ancient seabed with excellent drainage. 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.

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.