How We Farm,
and Why It Matters

Soil Building Without Synthetics

Our fractured Monterey shale offers vines almost nothing in terms of conventional fertility. That is, in many respects, an advantage: low-nutrient soils force vines to work harder, producing smaller, more concentrated clusters with greater skin-to-juice ratios. But working soils that are naturally poor requires active stewardship rather than passive neglect.

We build organic matter and feed soil biology through a specific set of inputs, each chosen for how it works with the land rather than around it.

Pruning with Simonit & Sirch

Our pruning approach is built on the methodology of Simonit & Sirch — Italian specialists whose work is now used across some of the world's most respected estates. Their central principle is one most California viticulture overlooks: the long-term vascular health of the vine itself.

Conventional pruning often leaves wounds that interrupt the flow of sap through the vine's wood, creating entry points for disease and gradually compromising the vine's productive life. Simonit & Sirch train pruners to make cuts that preserve sap circulation, working with the vine's natural architecture rather than imposing a shape on it. The result is vines that live longer, resist disease more effectively, and produce more consistent fruit over time.

At Ojai Mountain, longevity is the goal. We are not farming for the next harvest. We are farming for the next generation of vines, and the pruning decisions we make today will determine the quality of fruit this mountain produces decades from now.

Irrigation: Minimal by Design

With annual rainfall of 10 to 20 inches and deep-rooting vines on porous shale, supplemental irrigation at Ojai Mountain is a tool of precision rather than a crutch. We irrigate minimally and strategically, using timing and volume to manage vine stress rather than eliminate it. Controlled water stress at the right growth stages is one of the most reliable tools for producing small, concentrated berries with the skin-to-juice ratio that translates to structure and ageability in the finished wine.

Pollinators and
Wildflower Plantings

Grapevines self-pollinate, but the cover crops and wildflowers that support soil health and biodiversity depend on bees. We maintain managed beehives on the property and have planted pollinator corridors throughout the estate: wildflowers, native shrubs, and flowering cover crops that provide a continuous food source across the growing season. A thriving pollinator population is a signal that the broader ecosystem is in balance, and balance in the ecosystem means reduced pest and disease pressure on the vines.

Birds of Prey:
Natural Pest Management

In partnership with the Ojai Raptor Center, we have installed nesting boxes and perches for kestrels, owls, and hawks throughout the vineyard. These birds are natural predators of the rodents, insects, and small animals that damage grapevines, and their presence eliminates the need for the rodenticides and pesticides that conventional vineyards rely on.

The partnership works in both directions. The Ojai Raptor Center rehabilitates injured birds of prey and releases them into appropriate habitat. Our vineyard provides exactly that: open mountain terrain with abundant prey and established nesting infrastructure. The birds patrol the property on their own terms, and the vineyard benefits.

Fire Management
Through Grazing

Located in the mountains above Ojai, the estate sits in Southern California fire country. Managing brush accumulation is not optional. Rather than mechanical clearing or herbicide application, we use seasonal grazing by sheep and goats to manage the chaparral surrounding our planted blocks. Grazing serves multiple functions simultaneously.

• Fire risk reduction: Animals consume dry brush that would otherwise fuel wildfires
• Natural firebreaks: Grazing animals create perpendicular paths across the hillside that reduce winter runoff
• Soil health: Animal manure returns organic matter and nitrogen to the soil
• Brush rejuvenation: Controlled grazing stimulates fuller spring regrowth in native plants

This is regenerative farming in its most literal sense: a single practice that addresses fire safety, soil health, and ecological balance without a single synthetic input.