Why Sonoma’s DuMOL And ‘Small Vines’ Wineries Farm In The French Fashion

If you travel down the back country roads of Sonoma County, you may come across an unusual sight – vineyards of tightly spaced short vines covering several acres. These are uncommon because most California grapevines are planted with 6 feet distance between the rows, 4 feet distance between the vines, and climb up trellising to grow about 6 feet high. Some of the older vineyards are even more expansive, at 12 feet by 8 feet in vine spacing.

The small vine vineyards, on the other hand, are planted in the French fashion with very tight spacing, and measure approximately 3.5 feet between the rows, 3.3 feet between the vines with vine height of around 4 feet. So why do two very high-end pinot noir and chardonnay wineries in Sonoma County – DuMOL and the aptly named, Small Vines, wineries – farm in this fashion?

A Visit to DuMOL Vineyards

“We believe that tightly spaced vines produce wines of highly distinct character and can better withstand climatic extremes due to the increased shading on both the clusters and soil during the heat of summer,” explained Andy Smith, Viticulturist, Winemaker & Partner at DuMOL winery.

Andy was standing in the DuMOL Estate Vineyard, when I interviewed him, and it did seem as if we were standing in a vineyard in Burgundy, France – except for the tall California redwood trees in the distance. “This vineyard has 3,630 vines per acre, and is one of the most densely planted vineyards in Northern California,” Andy commented.

He described how because the vines are so tightly spaced that each vine carries a smaller crop load and this allows for more even ripening of the grapes, which can positively impact wine quality.

“All of our vineyards in this area are planted on Goldridge fine sandy loam soil with low water holding capacity, causing the vines to spread their roots widely,” he continued. “This creates grapes that are concentrated and vibrant in flavor.”

In terms of winemaking, Andy says that most of it occurs in the vineyard, and that once in the cellar, they adopt a philosophy of allowing the wine to develop naturally at its own pace. “Our winemaking technique is secondary to what we achieve in the field,” he explains.

And tasting the wines of DuMOL is certainly a treat. Both the chardonnays and pinot noirs, from multiple vineyards, have a lightness of touch and elegance, purity of fruit, and a very distinctive taste of the soil – similar to what is found in many Burgundian wines.

They are also designed to age well, and this capacity, along with the exquisite winemaking and higher labor costs that are incurred by farming small vines, is what propels DuMOL wines into the ultra-premium price category. The average price of a DuMOL chardonnay is around $80 per bottle, with DuMOL pinot noirs usually selling for $100+ per bottle, depending on the vintage.

During my visit I was able to taste seven DuMOL wines from different vineyards, and they were all unique in taste – reflecting the soil and climate of each vineyard. The DuMOL Estate vineyard chardonnay and pinot noir wines expressed clear bright fruit with an intriguing spicy note, whereas the MacIntrye Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 was more powerful with ripe boysenberry, blueberry, and earthy notes.

My two favorite wines were from the Bressay Estate Vineyard, which is another tightly spaced vineyard, but closer to the ocean. The Bressay Chardonnay 2022 and the Bressay Pinot Noir 2022 had seductive floral notes, mouthwatering acidity, and a sensual mineral taste that mingled with pure fruit.

The actual DuMOL tasting room is located in Windsor, California. DuMOL was founded in 1996 and all of its vineyards are farmed organically. Andy crafts the wine with Associate Winemaker, Jenna Davis. The wines are sold on an allocated basis via a mailing list, but it is possible to purchase a couple of bottles at the tasting room.

A Visit to ‘Small Vines’ Winery

Less than 10 minutes down the road from DuMOL Estate Vineyards, is another famous winery where they also farm in the French fashion, with tightly spaced vineyards. The owners, Paul and Kathryn Sloan, are actually good friends with Andy Smith and assisted Andy in planting the DuMOL Estate Vineyard in 2005.

“Kathryn and I took a trip to Burgundy in 2002, and were so inspired that when we returned home, we decided to focus solely on planting and organically farming Burgundian style tightly spaced vineyards,” Paul explained, when I arrived at their charming tasting room overlooking a vast vineyard of small vines.

But it actually took Paul and Kathryn Sloan a number of years before they were able to achieve their dream of owning their own vineyard and building a winery. Paul had been working as a waiter at John Ash restaurant when they met. He then worked for Dutton ranch while attending Viticulture school and together the Sloan’s launched a Vineyard Management company and planted vineyards for other people in order to save enough money to make their own wine. One of those vineyards was the MK Vineyard that they planted in 1999 with small vines spaced closely together.

“The vineyard is owned by Mat and Ann Keller, but we have a long-term lease with them to make our wine,” explained Kathryn Sloan. “It holds a very special place in our hearts, ….and has the most devout following from our mailing list.”

Eventually the pair saved enough money and were able to take out a loan to purchase an old farm house situated at the end of a dirt country lane about 10 minutes from the town of Sebastopol. The property was called the old Barlow Homestead and came with 12.5 acres. The Sloans immediately went to work, helped by their two small children, to plant the TBH Estate Vineyard around the house using organic and regenerative farming practices, and to remodel the old barn into a winery and tasting room.

Today Small Vines winery and vineyard is one of the most bucolic places to visit in Sonoma County, with its position on a gently sloping plateau. The tasting room is small and tastefully designed, but the best part is the outdoor seating area with comfortable chairs arranged to overlook the vineyards and sip a glass of Small Vines pinot noir or chardonnay while watching the sun set.

“People told us we were crazy and that this type of farming wouldn’t work in California, especially organically, but we believe that it provides us with higher quality, more concentrated fruit, as well as a greater sense of place,” said Paul.

The critics also agree, because Small Vines wines have received very positive press for its wines. I was able to sample five wines during my visit, and was very impressed with the TBH Vineyard Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2018, with streamlined apple, pear, lemon and a touch of intriguing salinity with a long and mouthwatering finish ($75 per bottle).

Another highlight was the TBH Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2019, aged in oak for 15- 16 months. It is brimming with black cherry, bramble-berry and earthy notes, with a richly texture palate and structured tannins ($100 per bottle). Like DuMOL, all of the Small Vines wines are allocated, but it is possible to purchase a bottle or two at the tasting room.

As I drove slowly towards home after my full day of visiting vineyards filled with tightly spaced vines and tasting the bounty of Sonoma County, I felt grateful that there were still so many passionate farming families and winemakers in California. DuMOL and Small Vines are great examples of this.

Kathryn summed it up well, “Paul and I are traditional people and use traditional methods of winemaking that are as pure, transparent and wholesome as possible.”