van der Kamp Vineyard

MEET MARTIN & ULYSSES VAN DER KAMP

The van der Kamp Vineyard has a long history. Constantly farmed for over 100 years, it was originally planted by the parents of Russell Cundi, good friends of the van der Kamp family. Martin van der Kamp started purchasing Pinot Noir grapes from Russell in the mid-1960s for home winemaking. After Russell suffered a stroke, he asked Martin and his son Ulysses to take over the land for him and with help from friends, the van der Kamps were able to purchase this Sonoma Mountain Vineyard in 1989.

For Ulysses, having been raised in Napa Valley alongside many established grape growing families, becoming a winegrower seemed a very natural thing to do. Today, he and his father feel linked to the land, not just emotionally but more so spiritually.

Th­e van der Kamp family embraces natural farming and non-invasive techniques. Th­e vineyard has a great amount of variation in soil types, slopes, sun and wind exposure. Ulysses explains: “We try to match each variation with an assorted selection of clones, irrigation practices, trellising and pruning techniques. Our goal is to define what ‘balance’ really is in the vineyard. To that end, we are heading toward more biodynamic farming techniques, which are geared to keep us in harmony with all our surroundings. The greatest reward is that our pursuit of family viticulture helps us to understand the great mysteries of being in harmony with Nature and all of its manifestations.”