Chapman Hill Vineyard
The grapes used to make Rominger West wines are grown in Yolo County in vineyards farmed by Bruce Rominger. Our vineyards are located in the western part of the county, north of the town of Winters, in the lower hills of the Coast Range. The long growing season in this region is characterized by warm to hot daytime temperatures, and cool nighttime temperatures. This environment allows us to develop fully ripe flavors in all of our varieties. Careful farming and a close collaboration with the winery maintains the acid balance in the grapes and maximizes wine quality.
Chapman Vineyard
Located about five miles northwest of Winters, Chapman Vineyard was planted in 2001. It is divided into two adjacent blocks, the western ‘Hill’ block on the low foothills of the Coast Range and the eastern ‘Flat’ block on an alluvial plateau between two seasonal creeks.
In the summer of 2011, our Arnold Vineyard was de-vined due to water well issues, and we transplanted Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Grenache, Semillon, Tempranillo, and several Chardonnay clones to the Chapman Vineyard.
Hill
Chapman Hill represents the first collaboration, from site selection through vineyard development, between our founding partners, Mark West and Charlie Rominger. The vines are planted on a southwest to northeast orientation, creating even sun exposure on the canopy while protecting the grapes from direct sunlight during the hottest time of the day. This ten acre, rocky, low-fertility site is located south of Chickahominy Creek, and is the source of our most intense red grapes, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec, Merlot and Lagrein.
Flat
The ‘Flat’ block at Chapman Vineyard was originally planted as a nursery block with planting material imported from France and certified by L’Etablissement National Technique pour l’Amélioration de la Viticulture (ENTAV). Chapman Flat is situated just east of the Chapman Hill block and contains 14 clones of 11 different varieties. The first four acres in this vineyard were planted in 2000 and we select Grenache, Cabernet Franc and Tannat grapes from this section. In 2007 we expanded this block by adding four acres of Grenache Blanc vines, which increased our production of this wine in the 2008 season and beyond. The wild turkeys prefer this vineyard and we see dozens of them here almost every day in the summer and fall.
Herren Vineyard
Located in the beautiful Capay Valley, the Herren Vineyard is an organically farmed vineyard planted to Syrah, Mourvedre, and Grenache. This 1.3 acre vineyard was designed to produce a Rhone style “vineyard blend” with all the fruit from the vineyard co-fermented to create a unique wine. The vineyard was planted in 2001 with the first commercial harvest in 2004. All of the grapes grown on this vineyard are incorporated into the Herren Vineyard Red Blend.
Vineyard Tours
We hold two vineyard tours a year, one in the fall and one in the spring, for anyone who is interested in seeing where our grapes are grown. Contact the winery for more information (530-747-2044, info@romingerwest.com)
Roots to Wine
Rominger West Winery is a member of the local grape growers organization, Roots to Wine. To find out more about the organization and its annual wine events, click here.
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