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Our Vineyards
OGB is proud of our clone and rootstock selections, which are ideal for Temecula Valley; our aggressive canopy management; and our ability to control yields to deliver grapes of the highest quality.
OGB utilizes a vertical trellis, 6 foot by 9 foot vine farming system for growing and cultivating grapes. Each OGB vineyard contains approximately 805 grape vines per acre.
OGB’s first vineyard – Vista del Monte (18 acres) – is located about 2 miles southwest from Monte De Oro on a ridge on the northern side of the Temecula Valley. It was planted in 2002 with Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah grapes. (OGB’s partners have a strong passion for Cabernet Sauvignon, and Temecula is ideal weather for growing top quality Rhone type grapes such as Syrah.)
Approximately 2 miles due east of Monte De Oro are DePortola (18 acres) and Galway (23 acres) vineyards, which are adjacent to each other on the bottom of the mountainside on the eastern side of the Valley.
These vineyards were planted in 2003 with 8 grape varietals, including Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Viognier, Zinfandel, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscat Canelli.
Our first harvest — 26 tons — was in 2004. The Syrah from the Vista del Monte Vineyard was terrific fruit. Originally OGB retained its Syrah grapes making its first wine in a traditional French-barrel aging process. This wine was sold to another winery, which used it in a single Vista del Monte bottling. The resulting wine — exclusively from Vista del Monte’s grapes — produced a “90 score” from Wine Enthusiast magazine.
The first year all three OGB vineyards were harvested was 2005. In 2006, OGB’s partners commenced their winery venture and began retaining all the red grapes from its vineyards, custom-crushing them in order to start building a wine supply for Monte De Oro Winery. Committing to a French-oak barrel regime, OGB’s partners produced an array of quality wines as a result.
In the spring of 2008, OGB planted its fourth vineyard – Monte De Oro (12 acres). This vineyard consists of Tempranillo, Petite Verdot, Malbec, Petite Syrah, Grenache, and Cinsault.
In all, OGB has a total of 72 acres of vineyards, which are the sole source of estate-grown grapes for Monte De Oro Winery.
Sixty-six percent of Monte De Oro’s grapes are red with the remainder being white. This provides a broad array of quality wines for Monte De Oro Winery while also reflecting the group’s personal preference.
For 2009, OGB harvested 175 tons of grapes which will result in the equivalent of 473 barrels of wine – over 11,200 cases and some 134,400 bottles!
By 2011, Monte De Oro’s total grape production from OGB’s four vineyards will be approximately 260 grape tons, raising Monte De Oro’s wine production to 16,640 cases, just shy of 200,000 bottles.
