Growing up on a multi-generational farm, I spent a lot of time following my grandfather around. One day after many years working in his shadow, he turned to me and said, “I think it's about time you started chasing your own lions.
This story is the inspiration for starting Nine North Wine Co and encapsulates the entrepreneurial spirit we hold very closely at Nine North Wine Co today.
We farm two distinctive appellations in California for Chasing Lions, Lodi & Monterey.
Lodi: has a Mediterranean climate with warm days and cool nights. The soil, unlike many other appellations, varies within the AVA, though in most places it is a deep loam that occasionally is covered with large rocks, like the French region of Chateauneuf du Pape.
ACRES FARMED: 60
ELEVATION: 150 to 225 feet above sea level
SOILS: Clay Loam
VARIETALS: Cabernet, Merlot
ASPECT: Southeast, Southwest
FIRST VINTAGE: 2003
Monterey: The largest of all American Viticultural Areas, the Monterey AVA runs from the Monterey Bay to the border with Paso Robles. It is one of the most diverse in terms of climatic make-up and types of grapes grown. The most important factor for all farmers in the appellation is their location in relation to the chilly waters of the Pacific Ocean.
ACRES FARMED: 32
ELEVATION: 200 to 1500 feet above sea level
SOILS: Sandy Loam, Oceano Loamy Sand
VARIETALS: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon,
ASPECT: Southeast, Southwest
FIRST VINTAGE: 2018
