Dirt

"Most of the surrounding hills on the east side are composed of Franciscan formation soils while along the west side are various outcroppings of granite, further evidence of the fault action which is moving the Point Reyes peninsula."

This is from the Tomales Bay website.

In the ongoing quest to analyze a site for vineyard development another objective is to look as the soil and the myriad of aspects dependent on soils.

Here's my preliminary list of concerns:
What is the ideal soil for growing grapes?
What native plants occur in the area?
What native plants are beneficial?
What kinds of wildflower, grasses, trees and shrubs will flourish?
Are there good soils for vegetables, fruits and herbs?
How would the soil have to be changed in order to support some of these other plants?
What can this particular terroir add to various grapes and their resultant wines?
What kinds of compost be generated?
Where should the compost be stored and how used?
What animals are valuable to the development of the vineyward and which will remain healthy in this geographic area?
Are manures valuable to grape growing?
How does one check for soil deficiencies and how ofter?
How much water is available in the soils?
How much water must be added for successful growing either naturally (rain) or artificially (watering)?
What kind of irrigation systems are there and which are the best in this situation?
If insecticides are necessary, how are they used and distributed?
What in the existing soils is detrimental to vine growth?

It should be noted that grapes are very tolerant of a variety of soils. The consensus is that the depth of the soil and whether it is well drained are more important factors. But with everyone talking about "terroir" these days, understanding the dirt may very important.

As the research continues answers to these questions will hopefully be answered.

Slopes and Grades

Studying the property on Google Earth the line drawn from lower left to the upper middle is, very roughly, a rise of 400 feet across a horizontal distance of 1600 feet. This amounts to a 25% slope, too much for normal vehicular traffic. The maximum slope for automobiles is about 15% and certainly is the slope must be traversed 10% would be more comfortable. This line is about 0.41 miles.

Now there are all kinds of problems in road design in getting from the bottom to the top but let it be said that the slope should be gentle and certainly considered in light of where vines are planted, building are built and of course the kinds of views and perspectives available.

Just a quick look might yield a roadway along the line drawn on the map below. This line is about 0.55 miles.

Just found a very nice addition to Google Earth. Shadows can be projected across the terrain for today. This makes for a quick analysis for which parts of the site receive the most sun and which site elements project shadows. A nice planning device but a date variable should be added.

The Site

Of all the parts of the process of design, there is none more important than the site. And it is not necessarily the specific location, although those pluses and minuses must be tallied, but environment of the site that is so important.

Latitude and Longitude - It's important to know exactly where you are. Use GoogleEarth. Zoom in and look at the surroundings and slowly back out to view the neighbors. Get the big picture as well s the close up.

Soils - For obvious reasons knowledge of the composition of its soils is important. It is also important to find the variations, where one type ends and another begins. Geologic websites and local government soil conservation agencies are good sources. Do not overlook the amateur geologist groups in the area. They can be a valuable resource. Finally for the best analysis a professional should be hired.

Seasons - Find out when the seasons begin and end, generally. Depending on the location and terrain there may be variations from what you expect.

Views - Sites are often selected because of their extraordinary views. Even on the most mundane of sites there can be certain views that dominate. Walk the property, notice the vegetation, location of sunrise and sunset, colors, rocks and trees, water and natural drainage areas. Consider locations for buildings. A nice description about building placement occurs in A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander called SITE REPAIR.

Wind - If this vineyard is to go off the grid, an important factor will be wind. Wind turbines to generate electricity require certain minimum Annual Mean Wind Velocity to be efficient. At the same time ground level winds can ventilate buildings, dry plants and spread all kinds of things. What direction is the prevailing wind and what velocities.

Water - Irrigation, sanitation, aesthetics, need I say more? Interestingly current news broadcasts here in DC are talking about the lack of rain in Napa. The site being considered has 16 potable natural springs. The volume of water from these springs will be important to assess.

Contours - get information from your surveyor, google earth or USGS.

We'll take up contours and additional issues in the next posting.

The Story

This is my opportunity to write the story. At this point it will be fiction although facts and real places will be used as much as possible so that the challenges can be based in reality.

This is the start of a vineyard. It will include a winery and a number of other components.

The reasons for this venture are multiple and will certainly become evident as the story progresses. This is a 'seat-of-the-pants' venture into something I know little about. But if you have seen Paula Scher Gets Serious on TED then you'll understand better why it makes sense.

Here are the basics: Iam an architect so the process will generally follow typical design process; cooperation is paramount, contributions from outside sources, comments big and small are welcome; this is a family enterprise, they are the primary resources on site but I have confidence that there are many other important people to be involved.

No one follows this blog so part of my effort will go into fomenting interest.

As the title indicates this is a story. Hopefully I can develop some intrigue along the way. Not being a writer this should prove to be an interesting experiment.

Tagliapietra

OK so we're off to one of our favorite galleries in DC to see a showing of "art glass".

One never knows whether the craftsman has exceeded his craft. But yes, Mr. Tagliapietra has done just that. Besides his extraordinary work exhibited at the Renwick, several notations caught my attention. One regarded his collaborators and the other was a list of 'assistants'.

Mr. Tagliapietra notes that he and his assistants engage in a 'dance' to create the works. Further on, one of his collaborators notes that while working with the master on goblets that he "was definitely in the zone".

These 2 comments will certainly touch many artists. There are those time when doing the work of art becomes a dance or music performance, not in the common way but certainly employing actions that demand precision, coordination and an elegant flow that can only be described as dance or music. These effort is often surprising, gratifying and exhausting while at the same time being exhilarating. It is as if you, as an individual, are no longer in control.

Mr. Tagliapietra's work certainly exemplifies that quality.

I really believe that the work of the vineyard and the making of wine can take on the same qualities.

Buddha is laughing

I haven't read Success @ Life: A Zentrepreneur's Guide. Someone on Twitter recommended it. Reading several reviews gave me a bit more depth to what the title offered. My deep appreciation goes out to one reviewer who concluded her comments with 'but like so many in this sub-genre ignores the basic question of where's the capital?'

Different

So I'm reading Seth Godin's blog this morning "In Search of Competition".

Sometimes the obvious needs to be written out, and written out in an effective and congenial way, just so people will notice. The 'green movement', 'global climate change', 'organic' are just a few.

Godin compares being unique with being competitive. If you're the only game in town you can charge almost anything. Competition changes that.

This is not new.

Doing some city planning a number of years ago prompted an interesting perspective. With a regional mall just a few miles away I proposed a town center plan that offered small properties in the context of walkable 'city' neighborhood to encourage mom-and-pops. Mixed with city services, educational pockets, inexpensive residential (for the start-up business entrepreneurs) this amalgation was intended to compete directly with the branded stores of the mall: an alternative, just down the street.

As Godin says "acknowledge that the competition exists and in fact, to encourage it."

The city ultimately chased developers that would build big box stores. After 10 years nothing has yet materialized.