The Aesthetic Value of Vineyard Restrictions
Where ever there are hills and vines I think we can expect a movement to restrict exactly how vineyards are planted. We are seeing this scenario play out once again, this time in the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco and one of the most impressive growing regions in the state.
Napa Valley and Sonoma County has already dealt with the issue of where and how vines can be planted on hillsides. The movement to preserve the hillsides as well as prevent erosion that might damage streams and creeks is one you really must respect.
MOUNTAINS & HILLSIDES DEFINE COMMUNITIES
One can make a very strong argument that, from a visual perspective, hillsides are far more important to protect than flat lands because they are so dramatically on display and often times are the most prominent geographic feature of a region or community. No matter where you are in Napa Valley, for example, you are surrounded by or have a perfect vista of the hills and mountains. And while we all seem to appreciate the green and symmetrical beauty of a well-planted vineyard, they can appear as great scabs on a hillside. Add to this the fact that vintners, given the opportunity, would probably pull down every last tree and shrub on a hillside simply because the grapes that are grown here are often very compelling and produce terrific wines.
In the Santa Cruz region it seems they are primarily making an argument that too many vineyards will cause excessive erosion. This may or may not be true. Nevertheless, it seems that they ought to be making an aesthetic argument too. You can guarantee the people of this region will enact some sort of ordinance restricting particular types of hillside planting.
I don’t think anyone would object if the vineyard looked like Bucklin’s. The use of cover crops there are not only aesthetically pleasing, but help with erosion as well. Not to mention the bio-diversity that helps ward off pests that many CA vineyards lack.
Steve is right. However, some people who plant vineyards have no previous agricultural experience and are knuckleheads to boot, so some guidelines may be a good thing. Dr. Tom Rice, our local soil scientist, was called in to evaluate a future vineyard plot. He told the owners there was a clay drainage that should be avoided. The owners went right ahead and planted rows horizontally over the slope. Now their tractors get stuck every year, and that part of the vineyard is a mess.
April Fool’s Blawg Review Prequel
Ch. 1 — In which We Begin in an Interrogative Mode What kind of fool am I? I am, first, the kind of fool who signs himself up to host an issue of Blawg Review sometime in distant, sunny August,
April Fool’s Blawg Review Prequel
Ch. 1 — In which We Begin in an Interrogative Mode What kind of fool am I? I am, first, the kind of fool who signs himself up to host an issue of Blawg Review sometime in distant, sunny August,