The grapes for our Cabernet Sauvignon are sourced from top vineyard sites in the Wahluke Slope AVA located in the famed Columbia Valley near the edge of Red Mountain. The region is one of the driest, warmest climates in the state, perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyards are composed of sandy and alluvial soils with vine shoots on original roots as phylloxera has never been in Washington State.
Oregon’s famed Willamette Valley runs approximately from Portland in the north to Eugene in the South and produces some of the world’s finest Pinot Noirs. The grapes for our wine are sourced in different locations along the valley which has rich alluvial soils on the valley floor as well as a selection of volcanic-sedimentary soils on the hillsides.
Our winery and 100-acre estate vineyard is located on the western end of the Santa Ynez Valley in the Sta. Rita Hills. The Sta. Rita Hills appellation benefits from the rare east-west valley allowing strong winds, morning fog and overall cool temperatures to roll through fromthe Pacific Ocean. These conditions lengthen the growing season while nourishing grapeswith a rare combination of full ripeness, concentration, beautiful structure, minerality and acidity. As a result, the classic cool-climate varietals thrive here.
In 1962, Pierre Lafond reestablished Santa Barbara County’s wine making tradition by founding Santa Barbara Winery. The winery was the first since prohibition and has played a pioneering role in the subsequent development of the Santa Ynez Valley as a world-class wine growing region. Pierre purchased land in 1971 on the western end of the valley and began planting what is now a 97.5-acre vineyard.
The concept with Tortoise Creek is to work with small farmers in California who focus on sustainable farming. Tortoise Creek is handcrafted, small-batch wines selected and blended from growers who understand this philosophy. In 2008, Mel and Janie Master joined forces with the Sager family who own the national importing company, Winesellers, Ltd., and together they have extended the range to consists of top quality Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc. They are all blended to create the best possible representation of the varietal and offer remarkable value.
An environmentally conscious winery, Vinum Cellars works only with sustainable growers to create Eco-Friendly products. The packaging choices are made specifically to minimize their carbon footprint. Some of those features are: Domestically produced light weight, Eco-Series glass; labels and cartons using only non-toxic, water based inks and each of these suppliers recycles 100% of the waste created by manufacturing our packaging.
