Vineyard Notes
At Abbey Ridge only organic sprays are used on the grapes. Moisture levels in the soil of this non-irrigated vineyard are managed by a rotating system of cover crops and tilled (or clean cultivated) areas. By adjusting mowed height of the cover crops relative to rainfall, appropriate quantities of water can be retained in the soil for the vines. The older vines have extremely deep roots to take advantage of moisture there during the dry, late summer months. Abbey Ridge is one of the highest vineyards in the Red Hills of Dundee and is generally harvested relatively late (mid-October for the Pinot noir and mid to late October for the white varieties). This situation produces fruit with high natural acidities and wines with tremendous aging potential. Yields average 2.0-2.5 tons per acre for the Pinot noirs (27-34 hl/Hectare) and 2.0-3.0 tons per acre for the white varieties (27- 40 hl/Hectare).