Portico Hills Vineyard: Sustainability and Culture

We are committed to taking care of our land, environment, and the people we employ in a holistic way.
 

People

• We’ve been fortunate to have a labor force that has done an outstanding job for us. We want to provide a healthy, clean environment for them.
• We also want to limit the possibility of any injury to them that can occur in the performance of hard work.
• We offer competitive wages, medical insurance, training, and education because each worker is a valuable resource.
   

Chemicals

When it's necessary to spray, we use the softest materials that will control the issue. No pre-emergent herbicides and no category 1 pesticides are used.
 

Water

• We regularly monitor soils, plants, and weather, irrigating vines only when needed.
• The vineyard property was planted to vegetables for 100 years. In converting to drip irrigation and solid set frost control, we are using 2 acre feet instead of 4 acre feet of water, which is a considerable savings as compared to historical use.
• We source certified rootstocks and clones chosen for compatibility with the well-drained soils and relatively warm summertime temperatures, creating a balance between canopy and fruit-load with conservative water use.
• We keep our water clean by growing grasses to reduce erosion and filter storm runoff.

Soil

• Our goal is to leave the soil in a better place than it was when we got it. We use organic compost both as a pre-plant foundation for the vineyard and for side dressing on an annual basis.
• We match the soil profile with the water chemistry to make sure the plants can take up all the nutrients and thrive. Good strong healthy plants can resist a lot of mildew and insect pressure.
• We’ve introduced 95 truckloads of soil amendments, including organic compost, gypsum and limestone to provide a great nutrient complex without adding chemicals.
   

Pest Management

• We introduce beneficial insects, attract raptors, and plant enriching cover crops to keep vineyards healthy.
• The vineyard is monitored on a weekly basis for pests and disease to ensure only specific and timely spraying as necessary. 
• We trap gophers and squirrels, instead of less humane and effective forms of eradication. We have specific crew members trained to trap and we keep track daily. This aggressive approach limits reproduction, keeping the population under control at all times.
   

Energy

We are converting systems to natural gas when possible, a cleaner burning fuel for pumps and frost control.
 

Business

We employ business practices with a long-term view to treat our employees and community with care for generations.