We are pleased to report on the success of the Mission Grape Vineyard planted at the Dana Adobe in 2022 in partnership with the Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County. The two-story adobe dates back to 1840. It was built by Sea Captain and Merchant William G. Dana on a land grant of over 50,000 acres granted to him in 1837 during the era when Mexico ruled California (1822 to 1846) after defeating Spain.
The Rancho, owned and developed by Captain Dana, was the center of commerce, hospitality, and trade. He grew olive and fruit trees, grapes, flowers, and vegetables and ran cattle on his land. He welcomed visitors and provided lodging, food, and fresh horses for his guests. The Wine History Project is studying agriculture of the Mission and Rancho periods and planted Heritage Mission Grape Vineyards at the Dana Adobe in Nipomo and in the Fountain Educational Vineyard at Cal Poly University in 2022.
The collaboration began in 2021 and there are many who contributed to finding the original Mission Grapes at San Gabriel Mission, taking and growing cuttings, having them analyzed by UC Davis for DNA and health, and the propagation of the wines on rootstock in partnership with Cal Poly and the Wonderful Nursery.
The vineyard site at the Dana Adobe was selected near the house and is surrounded by a beautifully crafted wall of local stone with fascinating deep-sea fossils. The vines were planted in the spring of 2022 by volunteer vineyardist Jim Efird and his grandson and continue to be cared for with additional friends, Len Hosksin and Rod Gross. There are stories of intrigue and battles with gophers and contributions to the balance of nature with perches for owls and hawks.
The results are a very healthy, thriving vineyard and a lovely space for dining, wine tasting, and special events.
Vineyard Report For July 19 By Jim Efird
Our vines continue to grow vigorously with essentially no irrigation by July 18.
Certain vines were skirt trimmed around their base to aid airflow and drying to the clusters. See photo below.
We added an air vent to the system to prevent soil particles from being siphoned back at shut down. As a result, 20 minutes of run time for the total test.
The irrigation system remains OFF, requiring visual inspection for stress by Len or Rod weekly.
Vines growing on the trellis and along the walls were hand-watered with a hose.
All vines were sprayed with wettable sulfur for mildew control on its 2-week schedule. If this schedule fails to control mildew in this mildew prone season, we will have learned that we need an improved way to apply in future years.
Here are the latest updates!
Vineyard Report for June 27 by Rod Gross
Vines continue to push new growth and look healthy. No need to add water. The Berry set is about 90% complete.
Unstacked vines along the west wall are stressed and definitely need hand-watered next visit.
I pinched the long canes and removed leaves around clusters, mostly on the interior and on the north side of the vines to allow air and sulfur to reach the clusters. This will need to be repeated as lateral growth closes up the interior.
I’m beginning to understand just how much more maintenance is needed on head-trained vines.
Vineyard Report on June 23, 2024 by Jim Efird
Report on my last visit to the vineyard on June 26, 2024.
The vines continue to grow vigorously. Amazing. All irrigation ceased at the end of May because of this growth.
Previous to this, we had started watering around the 1st of April, anticipating growth similar to 2022-23. We were watering for 10 minutes every 5 days. Rod reduced the time to 8 minutes every 6th day on May 14th and then we ceased altogether the 30th of May.
None of the staked vines are showing stress. Those vines on the ground by the walls have slowed their growth as would be expected of a 1 year younger vine.
When the staked vines begin to take on the look of the vines along the west wall with drying tendrils and reduced growth, we should talk. My inclination would be to go with a single watering of 1 full hour when we do start again as the soil will have dried to a decent depth. I may not be back to the vineyard until July 11th, so I am depending on Len and/or Rod for Thursday the 27th feedback.
The vines are finishing blooming and set. Some water stress will keep the grape berries from growing too large, minimize crushing together, and enhance flavors.
I pulled leaves directly around the clusters on the staked vines on the far east side of the vineyard. Not all vines, but enough to demonstrate. Set was not complete, but it was an opportunity to learn about the future timing of this work in the years ahead on this variety. If bloom is over and set looks complete (only a few individual berries shake off the cluster as you give them a little pat,) the rest of the vines can have their leaves right at or laying on the cluster removed. Just take a look at the vines I worked on. This will help with sulfur spray penetration to the clusters, improve berry color, help dry morning dew or rain, and minimize rot issues as we near maturity.
