The Vineyard
Welcome to Spoiled Dog Vineyard
On an east facing slope, the Pinot Noir grapes develop on cool morning temperatures and are protected from afternoon heat. Our Pinot Noir reflects the terroir of our vineyard, with an elegant and defined flavor and well-balanced structure.
Sustainably grown is more than just a phrase to us. It is a commitment to grow our grapes using the best practices we know. Sustainability means “capable of being maintained indefinitely, capable of meeting the environmental, economic and social needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs”.
Here is a listing of some of our practices:
Our Grapes:
Diversity of clones of pinot noir is key to creating a complex and balanced wine and diversity of plants is a sustainable practice. We grow the following pinot noir clones: Pommard, Dijon 112, 113 and 115, Swan 777 and 667 and Pinot Precosce. All of our grapes are grafted on rootstock (3309 or 101-14) that have been identified by WSU as being ideal for Western Washington climate conditions and they are disease resistant. We also grow limited amounts of Zweigeldt and Agria grapes, used for blending.
Grapes We Source:
We are very particular when sourcing other grapes. Our Bordeaux, Rhone & Italian varietals are sourced from Eastern Washington including Yakima Valley - Crawford Vineyard and Sunnyside - Den Hoed Vineyard; Elephant Mountain - Hattrup Farms; Red Mountain - Klipsun Vineyard.
Our Oregon sourced grapes come from Momtazi Vineyard. These grapes are specially grown for us - certified Biodynamic grapes. Biodynamic is an ultra organic way of farming. It comes from two words: Biological and Dynamic. The Biological aspect is practiced throughout organic farming and includes composting, cover cropping, green manuering, cultivation and integration of animals throughout the farm. The Dynamic effects are important as well. They include planning and planting by a calendar (i.e., near and far stars), biodynamic composting along with homeopathy. The entire Momtazi farm (similar to our farm) is self-contained and a farm is believed to be sick if it imports fertilizers from the outside.
Soil Building:
Feed the soil and you feed the plant. We feed our soil by using cover crops (crimson clover, legumes, fescues, rye) that fix nitrogen and protect our soils from erosion from the winter rains. We use compost generated from our animals on the farm as well as vine clippings returned to the vineyard floor and tilled into the soils.
Weed Control:
Mechanical removal is how we control weeds.
Disease Control:
We prevent diseases by feeding the plants using organic (certified) foliage nutrient sprays as well as preventive mildew sprays including horticultural oil and sulfur. We also use careful hand work to position the canopy and thin the foliage to develop air flow and sun penetration.
Pest Control:
We encourage beneficial bugs by planting insectory plants and hedgerows that attract them. Our farm has diverse crops and plantings. We also use netting so there is no harm to birds. Our dogs are a major contributor to discouraging birds from staying in our vineyard and eating our grapes. They consider bird scaring one of their major “jobs”. Minimal water use: we use drip irrigation for new plants (1-2 years old) and if needed elsewhere.
Family owned and operated, community support:
We believe in keeping our size small and manageable so we only produce a limited amount of wine each year. We support our community and it supports us!
Cleaner surface and ground water:
Our "best practice" watering systems and methods are sustainable and produce healthier plants, an increase in wildlife, healthier livestock and most of all – BETTER WINE!
Wine Making
Spoiled Dog from Vine to Bottle
In keeping with the hands-on approach that defines Spoiled Dog Winery, we personally work on every single vine multiple times each vintage. While this is a remarkable level of handwork, tailoring techniques to the needs of each vine in each individual vintage ensures the absolute highest quality fruit, in addition to producing phenomenal grapes for our estate Pinot Noir and estate Rosé of Pinot Noir.
Our approach to Rosé is not the typical saignee method but instead pressing the entire grape to make a strong-structured but delicate wine. All of our wines carry a signature winemaking approach, adding in complexity while generally following a traditional french approach for winemaking. Our wines are beautifully crafted and full of elegance and finesse.
The Spoiled Dog
Wine Club
Benefits of being a wine club member include:
• Purchase a case (can be mixed) you get 20% discount on the case
• Purchases of 6-11 bottles are discounted at 15%
• Purchases of 1-5 bottles are discounted at 10%
• 2 Tasting fees at the winery are waived once a month
• You can choose to have your wine shipped directly to you
• First priority for reservations for any of our events