van der Kamp Vineyard
van der Kamp Vineyard
Located at approximately 1,500 feet elevation, with a Northern aspect on Sonoma Mountain, the site of the van der Kamp vineyard has a long history, not just as a vineyard, but also as a homestead. As such, the 60-acre property has been farmed for over 100 years to a variety of crops. The 25-acre vineyard, as it exists today, was planted in 1952, making it one of the oldest continuously operated Pinot Noir vineyard in California. While most of the vineyard’s blocks have been replanted since, the Old Vine block, a slightly less than 2-acre section of original vines, remains the most cherished part of this site’s rich viticultural history.
Besides the Old Vine block, whose genealogy remains unknown, Pinot Noir clones in the vineyard include La Tache, 828, 777, Martini, Swan and UCD23, planted on various rootstocks and allowing to produce complex single-vineyard wines.
The van der Kamp family purchased the property in 1989, after Martin van der Kamp had been making sparkling wines from the vineyard’s grapes in previous decades and got to know the unique terroir of this site. Today, as stewards of the land, the van der Kamp family maintains the vines meticulously and practices organic farming, not just in the vineyard, but for all crops on the homestead. In addition to an abundance of fruit and vegetables, the homestead includes hens and roosters, allowing the family to remain fully sustained from the homestead.
van der Kamp Vineyard
Located at approximately 1,500 feet elevation, with a Northern aspect on Sonoma Mountain, the site of the van der Kamp vineyard has a long history, not just as a vineyard, but also as a homestead. As such, the 60-acre property has been farmed for over 100 years to a variety of crops. The 25-acre vineyard, as it exists today, was planted in 1952, making it one of the oldest continually operating Pinot Noir vineyards in California. While most of the vineyard’s blocks have been replanted since, the Old Vine block, a slightly less than 2-acre section of original vines, remains the most cherished part of this site’s rich viticultural history.
Besides the Old Vine block, whose genealogy remains unknown, Pinot Noir clones in the vineyard include La Tache, 828, 777, Martini, Swan and UCD23, planted on various rootstocks and allowing to produce complex single-vineyard wines.
The van der Kamp family purchased the property in 1989, after Martin van der Kamp had been making sparkling wines from the vineyard’s grapes in previous decades and got to know the unique terroir of this site. Today, as stewards of the land, the van der Kamp family maintains the vines meticulously and practices organic farming, not just in the vineyard, but for all crops on the homestead. In addition to an abundance of fruit and vegetables, the homestead includes hens and roosters, allowing the family to remain fully sustained from the homestead.
