Vineyards
In 2004 the Madeys planted a vineyard at their Buena Vista Farm in Hague, Virginia. Varieties include Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Muscat, and Chardonel. The soil at the farm is well-drained and sandy loam, ideally suited for grape growing. Each vine is hand-tended throughout the growing season. The vineyard is situated on a rise–the first high ground south of the Potomac so that it remains a bit warmer in the winter from North winds and somewhat breezy year round. Vine rows are oriented North and South to ensure maximum sunlight on their canopies during the growing season.
With the advice of French-trained viticulturist Lucy Morton, 6,000 vines were
cane-pruned and trained using the vertical shoot positioning (VSP) method. The vineyard is planted at 42 inch intervals between vines with nine foot spacing between the rows, following common practice in Europe’s higher quality vineyards. To provide high-quality fruit there must be balanced vine growth, and so a great deal of time and effort has been spent in the vineyard to provide the best grapes possible at the farm.
cane-pruned and trained using the vertical shoot positioning (VSP) method. The vineyard is planted at 42 inch intervals between vines with nine foot spacing between the rows, following common practice in Europe’s higher quality vineyards. To provide high-quality fruit there must be balanced vine growth, and so a great deal of time and effort has been spent in the vineyard to provide the best grapes possible at the farm.It has been said that one can make bad wine from good grapes, and conversely, impossible to make good wine from bad grapes.