One of World's Most Amazing Vineyards #5 Romanée-Conti Time Lapse

Time lapse video of clouds and visitors over Romanée-Conti vineyard, in the Cote de Nuits, Burgundy, France.

Romanée-Conti vineyard, in the Cote de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, France. 

Romanée-Conti, in the Cote de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, France.

Romanée-Conti, in the Cote de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, France.

Heavy sulphur spray on the leaves of Romanée-Conti vineyard, in the Cote de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, France.

Not all of the grapes are successful in the heavily sulphur sprayed Romanée-Conti vineyard, in the Cote de Nuits subregion of Burgundy, France.

World's Most Amazing Vineyards #2 Red Willow

 With its iconic hilltop stone chapel, Red Willow Vineyard is probably the most recognizable farm of wine grape vines in Washington state. The small rock monument can be seen for miles across the flat Yakima Valley. 

A stone chapel sits above the Syrah vines at Red Willow Vineyard in the Yakima AVA of Washington state.

Inspired by a trip to Italy, along with the death of his longtime friend Monsignor Mulcahy, Mike Sauer had a stone chapel built atop the highest hill on the family farm to honor the memory of the Monsignor. The hilltop chapel, built with stones from the farm, took three years to complete.

Located in the far western end of the Yakima Valley, Red Willow Vineyard is one of the oldest vineyards in Washington state.

The history of Red Willow started when irrigation canals were dug throughout Yakima Valley in the mid 1920s, and settlers flocked to the sage-covered land to farm. Included in this first wave of settlers was Clyde Stephenson, the first generation to farm the land which became Red Willow.

The first vineyard, planted in 1971, was 30 acres planted with Concord vines. The few token rows of wine grapes, Chenin Blanc and Semillon, did not survive on the rich soil where the Concords were planted. However, the Cabernet Sauvignon vines planted in 1973, are still in production today.

Red Willow Vineyard is part of the 4th generation Stephenson family farm that dates back to the 1920's.

Mike Sauer sits on his get-around-the-farm 4-wheeler at the base of the hill with the iconic stone chapel.

Third generation farmer, Mike Sauer, provides wine grapes for many of the most recognizable winemakers in Oregon and Washington.

All images copyright ©Janis Miglavs 2014

One of world's most amazing Vineyards #1: Cain Vineyards

A shark fin-like rock formation juts from the Vineyards of Cain Winery in the Mayacamas Range above Napa Valley wine country, California.

The Vineyards of Cain Winery overlook the Napa Valley from one side of the Mayacamas mountain range crest and Sonoma Valley from the other side.

The Cain Vineyards are part what was part of the huge McCormick Ranch, which grazed hundreds of sheep on both the Napa and Sonoma side of the Mayacamas Range in this area known as Spring Mountain.

Fingers of fog creep from the Napa Valley up the mountains, touching Cain Vineyards.

At one time, the original McCormick Ranch encompassed 3,000 acres. Sheep ranching continued into the 1970s, until it became financially unviable. 

An early morning view from from Cain Vineyards atop the Spring Mountain area high above the town of Saint Helena.

All images copyright ©Janis Miglavs 2014

Which one do you like best

I wanted to put a different vineyard through the view holes of this cobwebbed antique car. Then I couldn't decide which one I liked best. Which one works best for you?

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Oregon Wine Photographer measures Burgundy Vines

After the initial awe seeing the grands curs vineyards in Burgundy, it struck me how low the vines were. Some of the grape clusters were nearly on the ground.

Two things to notice in this Village-level vineyard in Gevrey-Chambertin: 1) check how old those vines are 2) check out how low those clusters hang.

So, I'm not a tall guy, but those vines come barely over my hips. I'm sure glad I don't have to pick those grapes. You nearly need to lay down to pick. No wonder some of the older workers are so hunched over.

What do vineyards in Napa, Santa Barbara, Beng, China and Ziway, Ethiopia have in common?

Today, I pulled vineyard photographs from around the world for the world's largest calendar company. I'm awestruck that people and corporations plant vines in all corners of the world. Yet, as I looked at my selections, it struck me how different the vineyards and their stories are from each country. 

What is is about growing wine that is so attractive to so many around the world for thousands of years? 

California: This is the privately-owned 230-acre Star Lane Vineyard, a part of an almost 8000-acre Dierberg ranch, Happy Valley, Santa Ynez, Santa Barbara County, California. Jim Dierberg started out in banking in Hermann, MO and  expanded into wine.  What is it about growing wine that is so attractive?

California: Spring-time view of privately-owned John William's (former dairy farmer from upstate New York and owner and winemaker at Frog's Leap winery) white barns and water tower seen from mustard-flowering Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard  in the Napa Valley, California. So why go from dairy to wine?

Ethiopia: This is the Awash Wine Company vineyard about 3 hours from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They get two harvests per year, with dormancy controlled by irrigation. Founded in 1943, the company is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

China: Perched on a flat above the Lancang River (known as the Mekong further south) in the Yunnan province near the boarder with Tibet sits the village of Beng. The ShangriLa wine company has taught the farmers how to grow wine grapes and changed the economy of the entire region.