Farming Practices Owners and geologists, Liz and Bill Armstrong, were drawn to Paso Robles for so many reasons, but some of the most significant revolved around the unique soils, hilliness, and extreme temperature swings found in this particular pocket of California. Inspired by the land and climate of the area, Bill and Liz began their journey to produce world-class wines that could express the intricacies of these very special vineyard sites. Today, Epoch is the proud steward of three vineyards in Paso Robles: Paderewski, York Mountain, and Catapult. Each site has unique soil, climate, and terrain, which in turn produces the rich, site-specific fruit from which we produce our wine. To tend to these vineyards, we follow specific farming practices. As an overview, we have always had the goal of the vines being a direct reflection of the special sites in which they are grown. We have worked hard to figure out how best to make this a reality, and that is why we landed on biodynamic farming – less inputs means less manipulation which means a more direct representation of terroir (to use the French term).
In day-to-day practice, the goal of biodynamic farming is to create a system that is minimally dependent on imported materials, and instead meets its needs from the living dynamics of the farm itself. It is the biodiversity of the farm, organized so that the waste of one part of the farm becomes the energy for another, that results in an increase in the site’s capacity for self- renewal and, ultimately, makes the land sustainable. Good wine is made from good grapes, and good grapes come from healthy vineyards. By taking care of our soil and training our vines to be more self-sustaining, our vines live longer and our wines can more directly reflect the special sites on which they are grown.
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