Vineyards
Estate Vineyards
Flowers Vineyard & Winery has three vineyards on owned property and leases, manages and farms four additional vineyards, all located in the coolest sub-appellations of the Sonoma Coast.
Estate Owned Vineyards – Ideal Sites in a Cool Climate
Walt and Joan Flowers own two ranches totaling 648 acres on the True Sonoma Coast. Camp Meeting Ridge with its namesake vineyard is planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Flowers Ranch, home to both Frances Thompson Vineyard and Sea View Ridge Vineyard, is planted exclusively to Pinot Noir. The three vineyards share certain geographic and climatic attributes associated with the area; however, each possesses its own distinct terrior due to a variety of natural factors.
Camp Meeting Ridge
In the past, Camp Meeting Ridge served as a ceremonial and trading center for both Native American Indians and early California settlers. It was the perfect meeting place with its temperate climate, three running springs, half mile of river frontage and close proximity to the Pacific Ocean. It was during these early years that the property was given its place name, Camp Meeting Ridge.
The ranch consists of 321 acres with a mere 33 acres planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. At elevations ranging from 1150 to 1375 feet, Camp Meeting Ridge Vineyard straddles a ridgetop less than two miles from the Pacific. It is accessed only by a steep, winding, gravel drive that cuts in from the county road. The first Coastal Ridge, to the west, protects the vineyard from the cool Pacific Ocean fog. That same fog cools the vineyard during the long growing season due to the swale effect of the fog blanket. Camp Meeting Ridge truly is an ideal site in a cool climate, perfect for growing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
There are at least six marine and volcanic soil types present at Camp Meeting Ridge. The first 23 acres, planted in 1991, have a consistent clay layer at 24 to 36 inches yet the surface soil types change like a patchwork quilt. Soils in the 10-acre expansion, planted in 1998, are gravelly loam with sandy clay loam at depth. This area is well-drained and rocky. In all areas of Camp Meeting Ridge, vines struggle for water and nutrients which limits vine vigor, reduces yield and produces berries with concentrated flavors.