Four Gates Wine
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Sixteen years ago I began to plant a small vineyard with the intention of making wine for Shabbos and yom tov. I had been making my own kiddush wine for years and the site of the vineyard, where I live, was promising. The Santa Cruz Mountain wine growing region of California, though small, has long been known for its quality wines. The vineyard is situated on a south-facing slope surrounded by oak and redwood forest looking down the valley to the Pacific Ocean. It had been planted with wine grapes in the 1880s, but the original vines were pulled up during prohibition.
Four Gates is perhaps the smallest kosher winery in the country. I grow Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc on 3.5 acres. The grapes are certified organic by the CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers). In addition, the vines are not irrigated, so the small yields are quite flavorful. I do nearly all the work of the vineyard myself, except the harvest, which is often a very sweet community event. Also, the wine is estate bottled. This means that one person has overseen the quality of both the growing of the grapes and the making of the wine.
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