Shadow_pondContinued from Shadow Ranch Pg 1 ..

The estate does not dry farm their fruit, but instead keeps the vines in a state of semi-stress by the use of regulated deficit irrigation practices.  So what does all this mean? It is an interesting fact about wine grapes that to develop deep, intense flavors and complexity they must struggle for water and nutrients. Too much water can make the juice watery and flavorless with a low ratio of skin to fruit. Excessive watering also promotes the growth of the green canopy, taking some of the vine’s energy away from fruit production. Vineyards in Europe have counteracted this problem for centuries by dry farming, adding no water through irrigation. In a warm growing region that does not receive much rainfall in the summer, this can produce wines with lower acidity and very ripe, sometimes raisin

and prune, fruit flavors. Regulated deficit irrigation provides the right amount of water to vines to keep the grapes at the correct level of water stress to walk the fine line between watery fruit and overripe berries.

The vineyards at Shadow Ranch are equipped with neutron probes to detect when the soil within the root zone is becoming too dry so that the water can be kept at just the right level to produce well-balanced fruit. What that correct level is for a particular vine depends on the variety of grape, the wine being produced, and the rootstock used. The results are wines with their acidity intact and still bright fruit flavors.

Since the vineyards of Shadow Ranch are about a year shy of supplying a crop to the winery, the Pattersons source their grapes from several premier vineyards throughout the El Dorado AVA. The vineyards are selected based on the farming practices the vineyard manager employs and on the vineyard's  ability to produce the wine style Shadow Ranch is looking to create. One grape that the estate will not grow based on the local terroir is Cabernet Sauvignon. Sam feels for a Cabernet Sauvignon grape to develop the intense, concentrated flavors he is looking for they grow best in heavy red volcanic clay, a type of soil found in the Georgetown region of El Dorado County. Syrah, on the other hand, is a perfect match for the decomposed granite of Fair Play, and those grapes comes from the locally popular Fair Play Mellowood Vineyards.

Shadow Ranch Tasting BarThe Winemaker:

Sam Patterson, Shadow Ranch’s founder and winemaker, has a family history that uniquely predisposed him to a life in winemaking and viticulture. His grandfather was a hobbyist wine collector and importer in the early 1970’s, exposing Sam to fine wines at an early age. In addition, other members of Sam’s family are heavily involved in agriculture in California’s Imperial Valley in Southern California, growing sugar beets. It was a natural for him to tie his love of agriculture with his interest in fine wines to pursue a degree in Enology and Viticulture from the University of California, Davis, along with a degree in business.

Prior to coming to the Fair Play region to operate his own vineyards and winery, Sam worked as a viticulturist and vineyard manager in such fine winegrowing regions as Napa Valley, Los Carneros, Amador, and El Dorado wine regions. With Sam’s love of the soils, and their impact on the finished wine, it is no surprise he believes that great wine is made in the vineyard. Tie this with his hands-off approach to winemaking, and it is no surprise that he searches for the vineyards that have a similar approach to winegrowing in order to best deliver on what Sam feels the terroir  promises. To Page 3 ...