Wildcat Mountain Vineyard - Sonoma Coast and Los Carneros

Photography: Peter Griffith and Cathleen Francisco 
Story written by Nancy and Tony Lilly, owners of Wildcat Mountain Vineyard
Wildcat Mountain Vineyard, situated in the middle of a cattle ranch used for grazing since the days of onetime owner, Mariano Vallejo, is an amazing place and we take our role as the stewards of this remarkable piece of land (and its native population of eagles, barn owls, hawks, foxes, badgers, mountain lions, coyotes, deer and bobcats) quite seriously. To maintain the integrity of Wildcat’s rustic grandeur we have committed ourselves to farming it using sustainable practices. Simply put, this means utilizing more earth-friendly methods to naturally replenish elements in the vineyard that are taken out for winemaking. This includes the use of seeds, stems and skins left over from the winemaking process, which are composted and returned to the soil, the practice of deficit irrigation and the planting of cover crops to build soil health. Few synthetic fertilizers are applied, and organic sulfur generally serves as Wildcat’s protection from the damp fog. All of this helps to keep Wildcat Mountain Vineyard natural and beautiful. 
Situated high on the southern flank of the mountain range defining the western edge of Sonoma Valley, Wildcat Mountain Vineyard is one of the highest vineyards in the Carneros Appellation. In fact, it straddles the border of the Sonoma Coast Appellation and is considered a part of the Sonoma Valley Appellation as well. The vineyard has well-drained soils of volcanic origin and is exposed to the full brunt of fog and cold air flow that streams off the upper reaches of San Pablo Bay, consistently producing fruit with depth, intensity and terroir-inspired elements. The vineyard’s 58 acres planted between 1998 and 2000, are broken up into 18 different vineyard blocks with a range of elevations (from 500 to 740 feet), exposures and soil types.


In addition to the vineyard, we are growing 260 olive trees of primarily Tuscan and French varietals that we pick in the fall to make our own blend of olive oil. The olive orchard and vineyard serve as wonderful habitat for many varieties of birds.
http://tallgrassoliveoil.com

Wildcat Mountain Vineyard Wildlife Habitat Support

Barn Owl Boxes
5 installed 
(3 nested in so far)
Picture
Image by Tony Lilly
Bluebird Boxes 
Around 24 installed (all used by Bluebirds or Barn Swallows) We participated in the Carneros Bluebird counts a few years ago.
None Removed
No Trees were removed when the vineyard was first planted
Raptor Perches
3 installed (2" pipe, 20 feet high)
Trees Planted
Olives 260 (Brewers blackbirds nest in many of them)
Cork oak - 1
Black oak - 1
Tuscan Cypress - 3
Myoperum - 30
Hazelnut trees - 15
Holly oak - 10
Picture
Tony Lilly's recycled art
Insectiary Plants, Natural: artemesia, sowthistle, yarrow (various), Queen Anne's lace, rhammus, baccharis, various clovers, various mustards, morning glory, pigweed, toyon, elderberry
Insectiary Plants, planted: fennel, California poppies, red poppies, rosa rugosas (about 24 plants), amaranth, California wildflower mix
Annual cover crops   Animal Friendly Deer/Cattle fencing (larger holes, no barbed wire)
Riparian Support - siltation prevented by rocked drainages  Wildlife Corridors maintained
Owners: Nancy and Tony Lilly
Partner in the vineyard: Steve MacRostie
Wildcat Mountain Vineyard is not open to the public.
Wildcat Mountain Vineyard is planted with a variety of clones to add complexity and nuance to the wines made by our winery partners, including: Pinot Noir Clones:  667, 777, 115, Pomard 4, and Pomard 5
Chardonnay Clones: Wente, 17, 15, 95 and 4