The Vineyard
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JD Vineyard was planted in January 2007. Set on a single acre, it is planted with 1,000 vines, split evenly between Malbec and Cabernet Franc. The vines face due west, so the grapes are able to soak up the afternoon sun, and ripen evenly over the course of the long Southern California growing season. The vineyard has a natural gentle slope, which helps to moderate temperature extremes in the summer and winter seasons.
The vineyard is a labor of love for Jeff and Denise Bowman. The vineyard is farmed and harvested 100% by hand. Through most of the year, the two spend their days tending to the vines to maintain the pristine condition of the vineyard. In this case, "pristine" is no exaggeration. The condition of JD Vineyard is simply unparalleled in the industry. There is no vineyard in the State that is tended with as much care and consistent attention to detail.
Great wine can only come from great fruit, and for a vineyard to produce great fruit, it has to be managed impeccably. For example, across the entire acre, there are absolutely no weeds. This is because weeds can rob nutrients from the soil, depriving the vines. To prevent this, the vineyard is combed daily to find and remove any weeds that appear. And the vineyard's canopy management program is similarly rigorous. Untamed canopies expend needless energy, which the vines could be using to grow the most flavorful fruit. There is nothing but well manicured, hand-trimmed canopies in JD Vineyard. Every single row is hand-raked to ensure that any possible adverse conditions can be identified at a glance and promptly addressed.