Vineyard: Dry Creek Valley has a long and rich history of wine production that reaches back to the late 1800s, when local immigrant families originally planted wine grapes. Preston Vineyard farms with a view toward the old ways - less intrusive to the natural landscape and with respect for the long-term health of the soil. This means no herbicides or chemical fertilizers, natural pest control based on interplanting of crops other than grapes, and protection of wild areas adjacent to vineyard blocks. The land on the Dry Creek Valley floor is hot, the soils are well-drained and gravelly, which led Preston to plant grapes from Southern Europe such as Barbera, native to Italy’s Piedmont region.

Vintage: The 2022 growing season in Sonoma County began with a late spring and mild summer, fostering optimal conditions for early-ripening varieties. At Dry Creek Valley’s Preston Farm, Barbera was harvested on September 13th at 24 degrees Brix and 3.4 pH, with bright fruit flavors, balanced acidity, and smooth tannins. 

Winemaking: Our Barbera from Preston Vineyard was destemmed into one open-top tank, where it cold-soaked for several days before fermentation started spontaneously with wild yeast. Fermentation was aided only by a bit of heat and cap management utilizing gravity rack-and-returns and manual punchdowns for two weeks before pressing. The wine aged for 24 months in large neutral oak puncheons and was bottled unfined and unfiltered.