In our winery log, the fields that produced grapes for this bottling are named
VF Ridge and
Middle Ridge and although they both are located in Philo, they have very different microclimates.
VF Ridge is located at our next door neighbor, Valley Foothills Vineyard, on a ridge slightly above Highway 128 on the valley floor at 270 to 290 feet in elevation. The site is protected by a large grove of redwood trees and the vines are out of the wind; the harvest dates are usually in mid-September. Navarro's first Pinot Gris was produced from this warm site in 1993. The crop was small but we were so excited about producing Anderson Valley's first Pinot Gris that we used a smaller 500 ml. bottle—unfortunately the bottle choice was an accounting nightmare as the bottle size didn't integrate into our computer software. Navarro's
Middle Ridge vineyard was planted a decade after
VF Ridge and is located on a sloping ridge at 840 to 940 feet in elevation.
Alfredo removing the dead yeast from an oval; this Pinot Gris was aged sur lie for seven months in oak ovals. The spent yeast enrich the wine despite looking yucky.