Spring budbreak
Block 10
Christina Ballard or "La Patrona" as she is loving known, surveying the hillside.
Cover crops protecting the soil in the heat of summer.
An ancient oak keeping watch.
Rows of lavender.
Fruit Set
Poppy border
Since the fires we have put enormous effort into keeping the surrounding forest floor well maintained.
Summer dips
Christina among the rows in early spring.
The house designed by Carroll Ballard
Carroll Ballard with his favorite 100mm Nikon lens.
Spring Blooms
Someone is always driving the tractor.
View of the valley floor below.
Wanton summer
Christina's secret garden.
Summer exuberance
Harvest
Christina mowing on the Goldini
A perfect cluster
Harvest
Truck tracks as bins of grapes move along.
A harvest load headed to fermentation
Signs of a healthy harvest.
When the Brix have reached their peak.

From fruit to bottle.
The Spring Mountain microclimate in an image.
Nora Ballard
Winter canes
Christina's meticulous Swiss organization captured in an image.

Side by side.
The story started long ago on a beach in Italy, on the film set of The Black Stallion. Christina later immigrated from Switzerland to join Carroll in California. It had been a shared dream of theirs to live one day on a piece of land, surrounded by nature and wildlife.
Having made a living in film for many years they knew of Marcel Pagnol who succeeded in combining the disparate worlds of the farmer, the storyteller and the writer. So did Jack London, not far from here in his Wolf House in the Valley of the Moon.
We broke ground in 2002 and believe our vines, after 17 years, reach deep into the subterranean environment, extracting nutrients and minerals unique to the spot where they are planted. All our grapes are estate grown. After harvest and fermentation, the wine follows its own inherent time clock. Under careful supervision it develops its personality, each vintage its own distinctive style. We age our Cabernet in French oak for 20 months and after bottling we wait at least two years before we release it. Granted ample time these mountain wines achieve and express their place of origin to the fullest, with authenticity, with grace, rich flavor and balance.