Youngberg Hill

It’s true – we really are.

For those of you who follow us on Facebook, you are probably well aware of the growing problem that we have with European Starlings that feed on our grapes just before harvest.

When our harvest is late, which is common here on Youngberg Hill, we can lose up to 30% of our hard won harvest to these invasive birds.

We now know that the starlings pose an even larger threat than we once thought.

Oregon is losing an alarming number of native birds due to the explosive growth of the starlings and native species like the Western Bluebird and Violet-green Swallow, as well as several species of Woodpeckers and Flickers, are feeling the impact of the invasion.

Many wildlife biologists are convinced that the starlings are enacting irreversible harm to western ecosystems and our new knowledge of this fact has spurred us to take action.

We recently partnered with Dr. Don Powers, Professor of Ornithology & Ecology at George Fox University to conduct the first Youngberg Hill native bird species survey on March 17^th.  We hope to make this survey an annual event so that we might be able to measure the health of our native bird population each year.

We are also enhancing native bird habitat around the vineyard though the planting of native shrubs and the installation of nesting boxes and feeders that are anti-starling in design. You can help our efforts by using starling-proof bird feeders in your own backyard bird habitat.

In our April newsletter we’ll be reporting on the results of the native bird survey so be sure stay tuned!  As always we appreciate your support for our sustainability efforts and believe that not only are they the right thing to do, but ultimately make for a wine that leaves a good taste in your mouth in more ways than one!

These days we all hear expressions like ‘organic’, ‘sustainable’, and ‘salmon safe’ used more and more often, but what do they really mean?

In Oregon, as in other states, these terms all signify a level of certification one must earn in order to use them in affiliation with a vineyard, farm, or other endeavor.  These terms carry a lot of weight because of the work involved in earning and keeping them, and should not be used frivolously.

Youngberg Hill farms organically and we are certified LIVE.  This means that we are recognized to have fully organic and earth-friendly practices from harvest to market, including pest control, crop gathering, and grape processing.

When you see the insignia for Oregon Sustainable, you can trust that a bottle of wine marked as such was produced using responsible agricultural and wine-making practices.  This is also a responsibility we take seriously at Youngberg Hill, because the earth stands to benefit or suffer from our choices.

Because we are in the Pacific Northwest, we have an additional responsibility to one of our greatest resources, wild salmon.  Salmon Safe is another certification we hold at Youngberg Hill.  We were certified Salmon Safe in 2005 after completing a long and rigorous examination to make sure that all farming activity that influences water, both above and below ground, did not cause harm to salmon or their environment.

Salmon are a valued natural resource of our area; therefore, we have an innate desire to preserve them and their natural habitats.

But in many ways, this certification is much bigger and broader than salmon. By following the practices and restrictions laid out in the Salmon Safe certification, we are protecting what is even a more valuable resource – WATER.

When we view holistically what actions we take to qualify for Salmon Safe certification, we are really acting in a way that protects everything that is associated with the natural resource of water. And when we protect that natural resource, we are protecting every life form that depends on water, including us.

We must provide and protect a natural and safe source of water for ourselves and all life forms.

Anything that pollutes our water resource puts all in jeopardy.  This not only pertains to industrial processes, but also sod farms, rose beds, golf courses, vegetable gardens, lawn services and so on.  All hazardous chemicals currently being sprayed on lawns, crops, Christmas trees, hazelnut orchards, and grass seed fields are not only killing our soils, but are also leaching into our natural water resource and poisoning it.

It is up to all of us to pay better attention, and homage, to mother nature. 
When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.  ~John Muir

Organic farming is the practice of not applying any inorganic material to the plants or soil. As a consumer, we focus on the benefits of consuming organic products. But there are equally important benefits to the plants, the soil, and the farmers themselves.

Each year since 2003, when Youngberg Hill started farming organically, we have seen the grape vines become healthier. The canopy is easier to manage, the vines maintain through the season better, they respond better to pruning and cropping, and they resist pests and mildew more vigorously. Organic farming allows the vines to do what they naturally know to do. They do not stress as much (except in a natural way during ripening, which is when they need to stress a little.)  As a result, the fruit that is produced is richer, more flavorful, and of a higher quality. That higher quality includes a higher nutritional value.

As part of our overarching desire to farm responsibly and reduce our carbon footprint here at Youngberg Hill, we consider our organic fertilization and soil replenishment an opportunity to reduce our impact on nature.  And Beauty is pretty proud of her role as well!

The next time you come and visit us, be sure to stop and visit the cows, and become a part of the organic cycle that is Youngberg Hill.

In my last blog I made you aware of some serious issues regarding the harm non native starlings are causing vineyard and local ecosystem.  As both the winemaker and steward of this land, I have witnessed the damage that the Starlings can do.

There are several methods to try to deter these hungry migrants; firing propane cannons, hire-a-hawk and vine netting are common anti Starling practices here in the valley.  Youngberg Hill has traditionally favored a more natural approach by playing recordings of Starlings in distress and predatory raptor calls as a deterrent.

In 2010 the invasive flocks devoured over 30% of our organic crop.  After working so hard to nurture the vines all year this was a devastating loss.  As a sustainable grape grower, our primary goals is to farm in a harmonious way with the true native species of plants and wildlife that make up our hillside habitat.

We are always looking for more natural solutions, and in the coming weeks I’ll be asking friends of both Oregon native birds and Youngberg Hill wines to for some special help.  For some of these solutions we will need your help on actual ecostytem enhancement projects at Youngberg Hill.  For others we will be asking you to make helpful Starling deterring choices for your own backyard habitats.

Together we can work to rebuild our native bird populations and start at restoring a natural balance.

Let us know what you think by commenting below.

Much talk and excitement take place regarding the vineyard during harvest time. Yet it is pruning in the dead of winter that is the most important vineyard work of the entire season. Pruning takes place during the dormant months of the vines; December, January, and February when the vines will not bleed excessively when the cane is cut off. Pruning vines is similar to pruning roses, cutting off the past year’s growth in order for the vine to grow new shoots to develop an appropriate canopy and fruit.

There is much more to pruning than just cutting off old growth. We are also “training” the vine in the shape of a “Y” that will provide balance, maximum energy flow, and strength to the vine. We do this by the selection of two of last year’s shoots to be the current year’s fruiting cane. These two shoots make up the top part of the “Y”; the stock is the bottom. The right shoots must be kept to provide the optimal energy flow through the vine and into the fruit.

The fruiting cane is that from which the new shoots grow that develop the fruit. Not only are we pruning for the current year’s crop, we are also pruning to leave spurs for the next year as well. In doing so, we are continuing to train the shape of the vine as it grows from year to year.

On several occasions we have discussed the differences between organically, sustainably, and biodynamically grown wine grapes; organic and natural wines; and other aspects of growing grapes and making wine. It’s time to set the record straight (at least from our point of view).

First, growing grapes and making wine naturally is not a marketing ploy. It is the right thing to do. It is better for the earth. It is better for the plants. It is better for the quality of the grapes. It is better for the wine. It is better for the consumer drinking those wines. So why wouldn’t you produce wine this way.

Second, we are trying to produce distinguishing wines from the hundreds that are available. We believe the best way to do that is to produce wines that most reflect the place where the grapes were grown. That is the one element no other producer can duplicate. Our wines are one of a kind.

Third, at Youngberg Hill we celebrate the differences of where the fruit is grown on our hill and from vintage to vintage. While there is consistency from year to year in how we grow the grapes and make our wines, and therefore, the underlying characteristics of our wines; every year’s wines will demonstrate the unique characteristics of that growing season. And each section of our vineyard brings forth distinct characteristics year over year that makes the wines produce from those different sections of the vineyard distinguish themselves.

As a grape grower and winemaker, it is the most challenging and most rewarding aspect of our work. Much like raising children, every child is different and being  raised in similar and different circumstances, therefore, every child is unique and must be parented uniquely. And of course, each child will grow to be a completely unique adult. That is both the challenge and the reward. At Youngberg Hill our passion is to have the opportunity to start with natures beautiful ingredients, to nurture them, to keep them safe, and to provide for them all they need.

 What do you like most about your favorite wine?