Within the past couple of weeks, two of my 80’s-90’s neighbors, who both happen to be of Italian descent, and whose families lived and farmed here since the turn of the last century (1900) both mentioned to me how their father’s dry farmed. Dry Farming is growing grapes without added water. Before the advent of drip watering in the 1970’s most vineyards were dry farmed. Both my neighbors mentioned that the quality of wines was higher back then. I know from my own orchard fruit that withholding water during the last month concentrates flavors and sugars. But as with everything, the trade off is lower yields for higher quality.
But given the droughts and climate change maybe it is time to give dry farming a closer look. Not being a viticulturist or enologist, I decided to see what I could find. First off is the famous Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 which stunned the world. An excellent showing of Napa Valley wines, the winner of the red wine category was a 1973 Dry Farmed Cabernet Sauvignon from Stag’s Leap. That led me to this lovely 12 minute video with Frank Leeds VP of Frog’s Leap on Dry Farming. When you add up all the costs of impounding water, and maintaining irrigation systems—perhaps dry farming deserves a closer look.
Frank identifies the following advantages:
- Vineyard Health (average watered Napa Valley Vine is 17 years old) Average dry farmed vine is 30 years old vines (some 40-60 year old vines or older)
- Quality of the Grapes
- Terrior: sense of place
- Tradition
Obviously Dry Farming is an option as we head towards more sustained variability in our climate: Drought and Deluge. Sometimes the answers to the future may have been practiced in the past.
Resources
Dry Farming Wine Grapes: A Best Management Practice Guide for California Growers 2015
California vineyards can still make great wine even with limited water supply and droughts 2021
Dry Farming – The Future (and Past) of Wine in California 2022
