The Challenge- Old Vine Zinfandel

Old Vine Zinfandel is by far the vine that has the most character. Gnarly and slightly pre-historic looking winemakers love them for their concentrated fruit and high quality, low yields. Grape growers find them difficult to manage as they require a lot of hands on work in order to preserve them. The challenge for vineyard managers is maintaining these vines so that they will produce great crops for years to come.  Old vines are grown on what is called a head pruning system. As the name indicates the vines are pruned in the shape of a head, creating a canopy with an open center that shields the fruit from direct sunlight, but also encourages light air flow to prevent mold or rot.  Almost all old vines are planted to St. George rootstock so they are resistant to diseases such as Phylloxera. On the other hand these vines are expensive to maintain as all work must be done by hand and yields very rarely top 2 tons an acre. Money spent towards labor almost never outweighs income when the fruit is finally picked and tons per acre is determined. During harvest, old vine zinfandel is the most difficult block to pick as the vines only sit about 3 feet high.  It is not rare for pickers to have to be on their knees to get off all the fruit.
Zinfandel traditionally ripens unevenly so growers and winemakers are especially challenged with determining when to pick. If growers decide to let the grapes hang to ensure even ripening winemakers must then have to deal with a wine that could eventually be higher in alcohol then desired. Picking too early leaves winemakers with unripe fruit, contributing unwanted flavors to the wine. Catch 22? I think so.
We currently have 2 blocks of old vine zinfandel; one we pick and sell to Williams Selyem for their vineyard designate and the other we pick under the John Tyler label. Recognized as a significant part of the history of grape growing and winemaking in Sonoma County, Zinfandel is uniquely California. As growers we hope to preserve our small portion of this important and distinctive varietal.