Wines & Vines




Our Vineyards

Quality wine begins in the vineyard, and our vineyards are a constant source of pride, worry and inspiration. We farm 21 varieties on nearly 300 acres, making ours one of the largest vineyards in Temecula. Our vineyard team keeps us up to date on the latest viticulture techniques and works hard to make sure our grapes thrive year after year so we can deliver the wines our guests love.

Practices

Care of the vineyard is year round. Our team adheres to meticulous practices through the seasons to ensure the vines produce the highest quality fruit they can. Visit the winery during different seasons to see the incredible changes the vineyard goes through.

Fruit Set

Fruit Set

In late April, the flower begins to develop a seed and grape berry to protect the seed. This stage is critical to wine production as it determines the potential crop yield.

Hedging

Hedging

Hedging is like a green pruning. Once the canopy of the vines grows past the top wire in late spring to early summer, we give them a “hair cut”, and just like a hair cut allows healthier hair growth, hedging allows the vines to grow a better canopy for better photosynthesis and better fruit.

Leaf Pulling

Leaf Pulling

Leaf pulling is conducted in the summer months with our Clemens De-Leafer. By pulling leaves, we allow air, light and disease control products to penetrate the canopy and reach the clusters. For our red varietals, we de-leaf on the “morning side” of the rows to add more polyphenols to the grapes, which strategically helps the color and structure of the wine.

Veraison

Veraison

Veraison occurs about 40-50 days after the fruit has set, typically in late June, early July, which begins the fruit ripening process. The grapes begin to change from green to red/black or yellow/green depending on the variety.

Production

It is obvious that you need great grapes to make excellent wine, but you also need proper equipment and a team of experienced winemakers. Modern, Italian-made equipment & close attention to detail are two necessities of winemaking here at Ponte.