WINERY
FOUNDED: 1977
APPELLATION: Napa Valley - "Chiles Valley District"
Owners: Pam and Jay Heminway
Green & Red Vineyard, named for its red iron soils veined with green serpentine, is located in the steep hills on the east side of Napa Valley. The planting was started in 1972 on ground originally in vineyards in the 1890's. The vineyards are a small percentage of the 200-acre property, which ranges in elevation from 900 to 2,000 feet. Our separate vineyards are at different elevations with different exposures.
Green & Red Vineyard directs its farming practices to emphasize the particularity of the grapes from this many faceted piece of earth. Each vineyard receives different amounts of water determined by soil texture, depth and exposure encouraging root depth through varying soil strata. A no till native cover crop is mowed minimizing erosion. In row weeds are controlled mechanically and manually. The vines are cropped to 3 tons to the acre. Selective leaf pulling and cluster thinning focus intensity in the fruit.
ZINFANDEL fruit is destemmed, not crushed. 3 days cold soak and 9 days in open top fermenters. Aged 13 months in 50% American oak (20% new) 50% French oak.
SOBRANTE is made up of 70% Zinfandel grapes and 30% Syrah. 3 days cold soak and 10 days in open top fermenters. Aged 11 months in 50% American oak 50% French oak.
The
SAUVIGNON BLANC is cold fermented at 52 degrees for 4 weeks. 30%
barrel fermented in French Oak. 70% tank fermented. Stirred on the lees during
6 months barrel aging. No maloactic fermentation
OUR
LABEL is adapted from a wine chalice
painted by Exekias in the 6th century
B.C. depicting the Homeric "Hymn to Dionysus" wherein he is abducted
by pirates. Against the better advice of the helmsman, who recognized the
god of wine, the pirates tried to bind Dionysus, whereupon he changed into
a raging lion. The ship's hull filled with wine. A grapevine entwined the
mast from which clusters were born. The sailors, terrified, jumped overboard
and were instantly metamorphosized into dolphins, The helmsman, who had shown
proper respect to the god, was spared.
"...wine broke out, babbling,
bubbling over their speedy black ship,
it was sweet, it was fragrant,
its odor was divine.
Every sailor who saw it
was terrified.
Suddenly,
a vine sprang up,
on each side,
to the very top of the sail.
And grapes, all over,
clung to it...
...They all jumped ship
into the sea, they jumped
into the divine sea.
They became dolphins."
Translated by
Charles Boer
