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Spring Mountain Wine Community
Growing Wine Above the Napa Valley
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Tom Ferrell
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Bio
Since graduating in 1970 from UC Davis in Viticulture and Enology, Tom has held a variety of positions in winemaking and winery management in the Napa Valley.
This fascination remained as he moved into management as VP and later President of Franciscan Vineyards. A few years later as President of Sterling Vineyards he initiated an unprecedented line of vineyard designated wines from Three Palms, Diamond Mountain and Winery Lake. Promoted by Seagram, Ferrell found himself in charge of their Napa Valley properties which included 1200 acres of vineyard, Sterling and Mumm Napa Valley.
But Spring Mountain and its unique qualities beckoned to him in 1993, and as President of the new Spring Mountain Vineyard he brought together three historic and adjacent Spring Mountain properties into a single 850 acre estate. Not so coincidentally, this new estate was crowned by the former Draper Vineyard where Tom began his winemaking adventure.
While he no longer makes wine in the AVA, Tom continues in his fascination with, and support of, the Spring Mountain District Appellation.
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Tom Ferrell's Videos
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A Vintner's Life
Added by Tom Ferrell
Tom Ferrell's Blog
Terroir - Climate and Weather
Climate and Weather
We look at climate and weather in terms of wind, rain, sun, fog, and humidity, but climate and weather are two different things. Climate is the characteristic weather conditions of a region considered over a long time frame. We're talking decades! Weather is what happens from day to day or over a single vintage. Mark Twain explained it very well, "Climate is what we expect; weather is what we get.”
We can look at climate and weather at… Continue
We look at climate and weather in terms of wind, rain, sun, fog, and humidity, but climate and weather are two different things. Climate is the characteristic weather conditions of a region considered over a long time frame. We're talking decades! Weather is what happens from day to day or over a single vintage. Mark Twain explained it very well, "Climate is what we expect; weather is what we get.”
We can look at climate and weather at… Continue
Posted on September 18, 2009 at 10:00am — 4 Comments
Terroir - Soil
Soil. Huh, what is it good for?
As winegrowers we try to produce the best wine possible. We want vines that don’t grow excessive foliage. We want vines that produce limited amounts of flavorful fruit. We want vines where the crop and the foliage are in balance. Soil has much to do with getting us there, though some soils are better suited to do this than others.
Soil does several things for the grape vine.
1) Soil supplies water and oxygen to the… Continue
As winegrowers we try to produce the best wine possible. We want vines that don’t grow excessive foliage. We want vines that produce limited amounts of flavorful fruit. We want vines where the crop and the foliage are in balance. Soil has much to do with getting us there, though some soils are better suited to do this than others.
Soil does several things for the grape vine.
1) Soil supplies water and oxygen to the… Continue
Posted on September 17, 2009 at 3:00pm
Terroir - Is it Real?
Spell check doesn’t recognize terroir. If I let it, it would substitute the words terror or terrier. French spell check, on the contrary, is happy since terroir is the word for soil. Like spell check, there are people who don’t believe terroir exists in wine. They see it as a figment of the wine seller’s imagination. “No wine drinker, no matter how knowledgeable, can taste and recognize the flavor a vineyard’s soil in its wine,” the skeptic will say. Some will liken it to voodoo… Continue
Posted on September 12, 2009 at 1:00pm
Terroir - Is it Important?
A couple nights ago it was my birthday and Valli took me to my favorite table in the Napa Valley. I’ve had meals there for three decades, though in different restaurant incarnations. The table is under a fig tree, next to a wood fired oven outside the door of Cindy’s Backstreet restaurant. We both decided to start things off with a glass of sherry and I picked a Manzanilla Fina. The distinct sea salty taste of Manzanilla brought back a memory, which I shared with… Continue
Posted on September 11, 2009 at 4:30pm
Terroir - Introduction
Treading Trodden Trails
Each year the Spring Mountain District hosts a four day “boot camp” for important members of the wine trade who come to the mountain and participate in the harvest. We call it Touch the Terroir because it is a rare opportunity for a few individuals to see what makes Spring Mountain unique from a vantage point that is “up-close and personal.” Soon we will again be talking about terroir and Spring Mountain, so I though it would be worthwhile to go over… Continue
Each year the Spring Mountain District hosts a four day “boot camp” for important members of the wine trade who come to the mountain and participate in the harvest. We call it Touch the Terroir because it is a rare opportunity for a few individuals to see what makes Spring Mountain unique from a vantage point that is “up-close and personal.” Soon we will again be talking about terroir and Spring Mountain, so I though it would be worthwhile to go over… Continue
Posted on September 9, 2009 at 7:30am
Latest Activity
Most Scenic Napa Valley Winery?
Wine Photographer Janis Miglavs
A Storyteller photographing and tasting his way through vineyards and wineries around the world.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Results Most Scenic Napa Vineyard competition
#6 Spring…
Note posted by Tom Ferrell
How to see Napa in a Day
By Sally - Posted on 16 August 2010
As a former Napa Valley resident, I have put together a day trip in the Napa Valley that is a real treat. Best of all, it is off the beaten path and will introduce you to some amazing wines. I never get tired…
Note posted by Tom Ferrell
SM Community Party June 2010
0:12
Tom Ferrell being useful
Tomas Guilliams videographer
Video posted by Tom Ferrell
SMDA General Membership Meeting at Villa Miravalle, Spring Mountain Vineyard
August 25, 2010 from 4pm to 6pm
Our next meeting of the membership will be Wednesday, August 25th at 4:00 PM in the Villa at Spring Mountain Vineyard. Please mark your calendars.It will be an important meeting with many issues relating to the balance of this year's activities and planning for 2011.If you have an issue you would like to raise at the meeting contact any of the board members or Tom Ferrell.See More
Event posted by Tom Ferrell
23Family Winemakers Trade Tasting
August 23, 2010 all dayFamily Winemakers Tasting
August 22, 2010 all day
Events posted by Tom Ferrell
Thomas Klafke on Spring Mountain District
This video is by Thomas Klafke cellar wine blog. In this episode Thomas talks about the famous wines of Napa Spring Mountain District AVA. Thomas walks through some of the details of why the appellation is a special place.
Note posted by Tom Ferrell
Otter Sighting - York Creek
Sunday, January 3rd, Perry Butler dropped me a note that he and Carolyn had seen an otter cavorting by the bridge across from the entry to Spring Mountain Vineyards. They pulled into the driveway and watched him play. The same day it was observed…
Note posted by Tom Ferrell
Cabernet for Connoisseurs
February 26, 2010 from 5:30pm to 11pmFlorida Wine Fest - With a Twist
April 22, 2010 to April 25, 2010Just Imagine - Wine Auction
September 1, 2010 all day
Events posted by Tom Ferrell
Tom Ferrell commented on Tom Ferrell's blog post 'Terroir - Climate and Weather'
I guess by not noticing how I had logged in I gave away my other identity as Administrator. Oh well. I really didn't intend for my comments above to be anonymous.
Charles Howard commented on Tom Ferrell's blog post 'Terroir - Climate and Weather'
"rasoning" is a little known and accidentally used alternative to "raisining"
Charles Howard commented on Tom Ferrell's blog post 'Terroir - Climate and Weather'
How to delay sugar accumulation?
In 2009 I ended up with Cab at 30brix and rasoning, while I thought the taste was not as developed as I wanted. The situation was noticable to me a few weeks before harvest. I have a sugar is likely to win the race…
TtT Grads
This group is for past participants in Touch the Terroir. A place to reconnect and keep in touch.
Cory Conklin and Jamie Jamison joined Tom Ferrell's group
TtT Grads
This group is for past participants in Touch the Terroir. A place to reconnect and keep in touch.
Andrew Stiles joined Tom Ferrell's group
Touch the Terroir Formal Tasting
Today at 4:00PM the participants in Touch the Terroir 2009 will be a formal tasting of 14 wines from the Spring Mountain District. The tasting will be held at Vineyard 7 & 8 and will be conducted by Tom Ferrell, Executive Director of the Spring…
Note posted by Tom Ferrell
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