Fort Ross Vineyard is a Certified California Sustainable Winegrower
Stewards of the Land
At Fort Ross Vineyard we understand the vital importance of preserving our collective home, Planet Earth, its vulnerable environment and all the creatures that live on it. Thus, we farm sustainably to avoid compromising the health and wellbeing of consumers, our dedicated and hardworking employees and, most importantly, our earthly home.
Owner Lester Schwartz oversees our sustainability programs. He grew up on a farm in Africa and since childhood has been fascinated with the Plant and Animal Kingdoms — both wild and domestic — our interrelationship with them as humans, and the importance of environmental preservation and sustainability.
Healthy vines. Better wine.
At Lester’s direction, we thoughtfully farm and care for our land, preserving the environment so that we, and future generations, can enjoy the rewards of a healthy planet and continue to savor the wonders of nature and all its bright, beautiful gifts.
All great wines begin in the vineyard. We believe that by nurturing our vines and soils with care and respect, we create the foundation for growing healthy vines and producing world-class grapes and wines for years to come.
With these values at heart, we avoid hasty, productivity-driven practices that could harm the precious, fragile ecosystem of our estate. That’s why we manage the vineyard ourselves, using our own full-time crew and equipment, ensuring we maintain complete control over every aspect of our viticulture.
Our sustainable practices
Our vine canopy and leaf removal protocols are designed to allow as much sun and air to penetrate the vines to minimize any pesticide applications. We use owl boxes to encourage natural pest removal, and net most of the vineyard to prevent birds from pecking on ripe grape bunches. Allowing them access would compromise the grapes’ integrity and allow diseases to enter the bunches, requiring undesirable remedial interventions. Our crew periodically spreads compost in the vine rows to provide natural nutrients to the vines and improve soil tilth and water permeability. Our general farming philosophy is to “do less” whether in pest, water and soil management and always try to avoid synthetic products wherever possible.
So, when you drink a beautiful Fort Ross estate-grown wine please know, you are drinking a wine from a sustainable vineyard where keeping the land, soil and vines happy and healthy is paramount.
Fort Ross Vineyard is a Certified California Sustainable Winegrower
