The Hellanback Ranch Vineyard consists of 4 blocks planted with syrah, petit verdot, merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc.  The climate is generally hot and dry, with mild to cool evenings.  The soil is made up of decomposing granite (DG) and red clay.  Irrigation comes from one of the two deep wells on the ranch property.  The water coming from these wells was tested to be "drinking water" quality. A 5th block will be planted sometime in the future.  It is a North-facing slope of approximately one and a half acres.  We are thinking about planting viogner or petit sirah there (also considering marsanne and roussanne). The vineyards are doing very well except for the individual plants that the rabbits manage to destroy.  The rabbits have become a huge problem, actually chewing their way through protective grow tubes to get at the young plants that were planted this year as replacements for plants lost last year.  The vineyards were pruned in March 2010.  We will be applying a biotic application called Trigger, plus nutrients this year to try to improve root health and function and reduce scatter, improving yield.
This is "Paula's Vineyard", our first, test vineyard.  This vineyard is planted with Syrah and is now in it's fourth leaf.  There are just 100 plants in this block.  That's old Nellie Belle in the foreground, pulling the haywagon.	This is a view of the "Big Vineyard" that we planted in 2008.  Taken in early June, 2009, all of the pruning, triming and training have been just completed for this vineyard.  You can see the ranch house in the background.
The "Big Vineyard", looking toward the south.  This vineyard is planted with cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, petit verdot, and syrah.  The rows are spaced 10 feet apart, with vines every 8 feet, double cordon.	This a view of part of the "big vineyard" looking southwest.
This is a closer view of one of the cabernet franc vines.  Many of the vines of this varietal are growing quite aggressively.	Here is the latest newcomer to Hellanback.  Meet "June", born June 3, 2009, with her mother, Molley.  Will she like grapes?  Every other living thing seems to!