June 2011: Vines at One Month

The vines have been in the ground for one month and now have several inches of growth.



Meanwhile, Winemaker Tom Dehlinger (above) lends the vineyard staff a hand by spading weeds in the middle of the new vineyard rows.

May 2011: Buds burst under the soil surface

Still under the soil, the tender buds have pushed and have begun to grow. This photo was taken after uncovering a rooting. Look closely to see the pale, young buds

7400 Plants in the Ground

Thank you to everyone who helped get them there!

May 2011: Planting Rootstocks

The dormant 420A rootstocks for our vineyard come from the nursery in large bins.


Before planting, the roots are trimmed and the vines are soaked in water for several hours.

A hole is dug for each vine, and each vine is planted by hand.


The vines are then mounded over with several inches of loose soil to protect the fragile buds before the shoots emerge.

April 2011: Final Land Prep and Vine Position Layout

After over two years of fallow, the end is in sight! To prep our 4.7 acres for planting, the land is mowed, spaded twice, and disced smooth in two directions.

Vine positions are first located using plastic knives....


...then established with rebar.

Mengali Plowing Article

A local farm publication (Sonoma Marin Farm News) has written a piece featuring Mengali Plowing. It discusses his work at Dehlinger Winery.

Visit the Dehlinger website for the link to "Sonoma Marin Farm News" to learn more about Mario Mengali and his unique work!

October 2010

Our cover crop of wheat will help build organic matter and protect against erosion during the winter. This is the second winter of fallow with a cover crop for our redevelopment blocks.