The small hamlet of Freestone was
declared an "Historic District" in 1974. At the town's center
is the old Freestone Store, which has functioned over its 128
years as a merchandise store, dance hall, meeting place and post
office. Today, it serves as the local grocery store and deli.
Freestone Winery & Vyd. Update
By Greg Cannon, Associate Director of Vineyard Operations
After having been granted a use permit in June 2004 to build a domaine-sized
winery in Freestone, JPV applied for a building permit in April
of 2005. We hope to break ground this summer and have a winery in
place by the harvest of 2007.
Our Sonoma County Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards are
five to six years old and yielding very promising fruit. Under the
new Freestone label our first official releases will be a Pinot
Noir and Chardonnay from the 2005 vintage.
Sunny and warm weather in late April allowed early vineyard access
for tractor mowing and spraying. Intensive pruning enabled us to
position potential shoots with clusters along the cane to promote
earlier homogeneous ripening.
This season’s weather pattern is similar to 2004, and we
anticipate cluster flowering in mid May. Vineyard Supervisor Joel
Robledo and his crew are taking every advantage of the good weather
to control weeds and pests, and to stay on schedule.
Photos taken in April 2005 from Freestone & Quarter Moon Vineyards:
This block shows closely spaced Pinot Noir on a 30% slope facing
southwest. Since vineyard development, the slope has been mowed
solely by hand and with power weeders four times. The side slope
in the row direction makes this one of the most challenging blocks
to manage.
Soil moisture and warm sunlight expand shoot growth, including suckers
at the base of the vine trunk which the vineyard crew is removing.
Sucker removal is necessary to reduce competition with the upper
producing part of the canopy.
The view here is from the top of Quarter Moon Vineyard looking south-southeast.
Young vines bask in late April sun. The distant view is Marin County
Agricultural Preserve and the Point Reyes area.
This photo demonstrates the effects of a newly cultivated vine row
with spader attachment. The spader aerates the soil, disrupts gopher
tunneling and incorporates nutrient-rich cover crop back into the
topsoil, all of which reduces competition to young vines.
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