Change is inherent to winemaking: A journey that is marked by the metamorphosis of grapes into wine.
At Terra Valentine, we have also continued to transform, right along with our wines and vines.
This fall (2016), my wife and I, purchased a parcel of land situated at the top of Spring Mountain Road, which will become the home estate for Terra Valentine and Foretell wines. The 112-acre property, aptly named the Spring Summit Ranch, sits nestled at the highest peak of Spring Mountain at 2200 feet, affording expansive views from Mt. Tam in Marin to the Sonoma Coast range and the Napa Valley, with the Palisades and Mount St. Helena as our backdrop. This coveted location puts us in close proximity to many of our vineyards including the esteemed Wurtele Vineyard, which is right down the road. It’s been exhilarating to take things full circle, back to Spring Mountain where my journey with Terra Valentine began back in 1999, as cellarmaster.
When the Yverdon Vineyard on Spring Mountain sold in 2013, Angela and I embraced the opportunity and for the last 18 months we have operated out of a tasting room in St. Helena. With the purchase of the Spring Summit Ranch, we’ve decided to close the tasting room, and direct all of our attention to this new property, what we like to refer to as our “forever home.” We look forward to developing this land, where we hope to plant our own vineyards in the coming years.
While our tasting room closed in December, our long tradition of producing some of the best wines off of the mountain, continues. If you are interested in seeing how the new property progresses, we invite you to join our wine club, where members are always welcome to take a stroll or hike around the grounds and enjoy our unparalleled views of the valley. While wine is most definitely our business (and always will be), the views at the ranch are something to be seen.
We hope you’ll continue to follow the evolution of Terra Valentine, as we take native land and transform it into a world class estate that will grow and transform right along with our wines. Please contact Tracy Smith to learn more about Club Valentine and our upcoming releases, like the 2013 Marriage, which blends Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc grapes from Spring Mountain.
Cheers,
Sam Baxter
