MANCHESTER RIDGE VINEYARD

Manchester Ridge lies at a 2,000-foot elevation above Anderson Valley and the Pacific Ocean. Planted to the edge of the Mendocino Ridge line, the only barrier between the vineyard and the cliff is a row of Chestnut trees upon which a number of wild boar feed. Some say the vineyard is the most difficult place to grow grapes on the North Coast, but others try to prove it is the most rewarding. The AVA is the only appellation to be comprised of noncontiguous areas. The defining feature is elevation (the AVA begins at 1200 feet), and is comprised of three islands "in the sky" separated by land with lower elevation. The site was planted in 2002 to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, from which we buy both for our sparkling and still program. The soil is highly eroded sandstone, which deprives the vines of nutrients, and the temperature variations which can be as great at 60 degrees causes the grapes to retain incredible acidity.