Speedy Creek Vineyard - Knights Valley
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Speedy Creek Winery is located within the Knights Valley Appellation, about 10 miles northwest of Calistoga, and just across the Napa-Sonoma county line. In 1986, David and Kathy Burton purchased a 91-acre site situated between 600 and 1,050 feet in the foothills south of Mt. Saint Helena, on an east-west ridge that separates Knights Valley from Franz Valley in the Mayacamas Mountains. At that time, the land was raw, with no power, roads, water, or fences. David had a vision to turn this land into a sustainable farm. He watched his neighbors plant grapes and considered ways to develop water resources to support the irrigation requirements for farming. From 1990 to 1993, he built five ponds to collect rainwater runoff for storage, and uses this water for irrigation during the growing season.
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Story: Paul Birman, Kathy and Dave Burton
Photography: Cathleen Francisco and Peter Griffith
Photography: Cathleen Francisco and Peter Griffith
A cabernet sauvignon bud encased in ice - the latent heat of fusion protecting the bud.
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Frost control is an important element in farming this vineyard. "It has been a struggle to develop the infrastructure to farm premium wine grapes at this location. From 30 percent slopes to frost protection in one of the colder areas of Sonoma County, it has been a challenge to get a vineyard established on this hillside." |
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The name Speedy Creek was inspired by the sounds of water flowing though the property during the winter and spring. Kathy commented that “Farming is a difficult life - you depend on hard work, smart planning and lots of luck. Grape growing and wine making are an intricate balance of science and art. My husband has a passion for our land, for growing his grapes and making his wine. It's not an easy life but he loves it. And for me... it's hard to look out on this beautiful place in the world and not acknowledge how lucky we are.” Speedy Creek follows sustainable farming practices on their hillside vineyards, and a portion of their land is closed off, including one of the five ponds, designated strictly for wildlife.
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In the early 1990's Robert Mondavi and the Mondavi organization visited the property and gave the Burtons a contract to grow grapes for the La Familia label. They planted Mondavi’s favorite Sangiovese and Zinfandel clones, both of which they continue to farm today. David writes, “As the season heads towards harvest, all my decisions become memorialized in the grapes, and the resulting wines represent a snap shot of my life on a year-to-year basis. In the winery, I can influence a wine to some extent, but I do believe in the old saying that a great wine is made or at least starts in the vineyard.”
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Owned and farmed by: Kathy and David Burton
www.speedycreekwinery.com Wineries who source the fruit: Speedy Creek |
"... the perceptive of the small family farmer and grower. The one-man-does-almost-everything story. We do have labor support, but we actively participate in all phases of growing and winemaking." Dave Burton
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