Winemaking Techniques

At DeLoach Vineyards, we focus on small-lot winemaking, giving exceptional care and attention to our Russian River Valley, O.F.S. and Vineyard Designate wines. Our passion is Pinot Noir – the noble variety of Burgundy that demands a delicate, labor-intensive process to showcase the exceptional terroir and complexity of the Russian River Valley and beyond. The diligence required to produce truly original, terroir-driven Pinot Noir is given to each wine that we craft. In keeping with our Burgundian Heritage, we use French open-top wood fermentors for all of our Russian River Valley, O.F.S, and Vineyard Designate Pinot Noirs, as well as our old-vine Zinfandel. We also practice hand punch-downs, known as pigeage — another Burgundian winemaking tradition.

Open-top wood fermentors have been used in France for centuries and are a testament to our Burgundian heritage. California winemakers have traditionally abandoned them in favor of stainless-steel tanks, which make fermentation easier to control and results more predictable. However, we at DeLoach prefer to live more dangerously. In other words, we “don’t practice ‘safe’ winemaking, so [the wine] goes to the limit of what it can be.” We believe that using open-top wood fermentors is the best way to craft terroir-driven, delicious wines that are a true expression of our vineyards, passion, and expertise, and we incorporate them into the vinification of all our Russian River Valley, Vineyard Designate, and OFS Pinot Noirs.

As dedicated as we are to our wines, we are equally passionate about the long-term health and vitality of our terroir, so we have a particular focus on biodynamic, organic, and sustainable winemaking practices.