Loma Seca Winery

4300 Adelaida Rd. Paso Robles, CA 93446

310-422-6295

www.lomaseca.com

On a 160-acre property, the vineyard consists of approximately 35 acres of vines located atop a southwest facing ridge, 1850 feet above sea level.  The first 12 acres was planted in 2012 to five red grape varieties, Garnacha Tinta, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Primitivo.  In 2016 we expanded the vineyard to 22 acres and added another red variety, Syrah.  Finally, in 2018 we added another 13 acres of vines, this time to three white varieties, Grenache Blanc, Vermentino, and of all things, Riesling.  About three quarters of the plants are grafted onto 1103P rootstock.  The remaining quarter are on their own roots. 

The site consists of all hillsides, ranging from gentle to quite steep.  Several factors make the vineyard a unique and special place on which to farm ultra-premium wine grapes.  First is the soil, composed of ancient seabed, uplifted millions of years ago by tectonic forces. A plethora of chalky limestone and fossilized whale bones provides a highly alkaline soil capable of retaining significant winter rain moisture throughout the hot summer.  And in a “normal” winter we get a reasonable amount of rain, something like 12-20 inches.  This allows us to not irrigate the vines.  The vineyard is completely “dry-farmed”.  Unlike a drip irrigated vineyard, where the vine roots remain close to the surface awaiting their next drink like a pup looking for a treat, dry-farmed grapes send roots searching for residual moisture and nutrients trapped deep in the rocks and soil.  If one believes, and I do, that the dirt matters to the taste of the wine, that terroir exists, then these deep roots endow the fruit and more importantly the wine with the most complete and honest template of the place in which they are grown.  The alkaline soil, ironically, also allows the grapes to retain their natural acidity.  In more neutral and acidic soils, potassium is taken up by the roots during fruit development which is then exchanged for hydrogen ions in the grapes, lowering the acidity of the juice.   The high calcium concentration in our soils inhibits the potassium uptake.  It is the acidity which imbues the wines with a crisp freshness, not allowing them to get too heavy or flabby.

The weather of course is the main driver of terroir.  The vineyard, since it is high, has somewhat moderated temperatures compared to the valleys.  It is generally a bit cooler on hot days and warmer on cold nights.  Nevertheless, we still see diurnal (day/night) temperature swings of 50 degrees Fahrenheit during the growing season.  This in addition to the soils allows the grapes to retain acidity and freshness. 

The vineyard is farmed in as Earth friendly a way as possible. We don’t irrigate, saving precious ground water.  We use no herbicides, insecticides, or fertilizers.  All of which can harm the ecosystem, not to mention ending up in the wine.  Each fall we plant a cover crop of beans, peas, and oats that helps prevent soil erosion during the winter and provides organic material for soil health and nitrogen from nitrogen fixing legumes.  We farm this way not because it’s the most economically viable path; it’s not.  But because we believe it’s the best path for the future health of the vineyard, its surroundings, and luckily, makes the best wine.