This is a beautiful and well-cared for vineyard located about 20
miles east of San Rafael in Colonia Castillo. In addition to fine wine and
common grapes is a parral vineyard of Aconcagua White seedless, which
are dried for raisins, used as eating grapes or turned into wine. One year
just the seedless Aconcagua vineyard (about 4 acres) produced 60,000 kilos alone.
There is a recently remodeled worker's house with large barn and tractor on the property, and an excellent caretaker with over 40 years of experience,
who has been working on this farm for over 20 years. He receives a salary of
about US$100 a week, plus 15 percent of the grape production.
The farm is laid out to produce about 200,000 kilos of grapes per year. Annual
grape production for the past 4 years has been 89,000 kg (2005), 157,000 kg (2006),
161,000 kg (2007), and 138,000 kg (2008). The 2008 harvest should fetch about
100,000 pesos or US$33,000 but final prices have yet to be determined. This year's
harvest was lower than 2007 due to spring frost and a wet summer.
Fine wine grape quality has met the tough viticulture standards of Bodega Roca,
a premium export wine manufacturer headquartered in San Rafael. Adhering to
Roca’s stringent picking requirements, the 2008 fine grape harvest was sent there.
The San Rafael Irrigation District just completed an upgrade to the main supply canal
that parallels the property. While the old canal was shallow, narrow and made of dirt,
the new one is considerably deeper, wider and is now cement-lined. Commissioned only
a month ago, it now provides ample volumes of water to the growing area.
The San Rafael region can be subject to hail, depending on weather conditions and
luck of the draw, so there is no guarantee on production . . . but as the syrah and
bonarda vines mature, next year's harvest could approach 180,000 kg. And as the
plum and olive orchards mature within the next 4-5 years, the farm should produce at
least another 90,000 kg of product yielding a total approaching 270,000 kg. With good
luck and favorable weather, perhaps a good deal more than that.
FEATURES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
** 16 Large Old Olive Trees (over 40 years) of the eating and oil variety.
Production averages about 3,000-4,000 kg/yr.
** Miscellaneous Fruit Trees including Apricots, Figs and others.
** Approximately 100 Quince Trees. Production averages
about 2,000-3,000 kg/yr
** A young Plum Orchard of approximately 260 D'Agen Plum Trees
(used for prunes). Production averages about 1,000-1,500 kg per year.
** A new Plum Orchard of approximately 400 D'Agen Plum trees was
planted in 2007 adjacent to the existing one. Future production should be
at least 40 kg/tree or 26,000 kg/year.
** A new Olive Orchard of approximately 1200 Missiones trees was planted in 2007.
Future production should be at least 50 kg/tree or 60,000 kg/year.
** A new fence and two new lockable gates were installed in 2007.
** All old vineyard posts replaced, new wires installed, and damaged
vines replaced during vineyard upgrade in 2006-2007.
** A benign natural fertilization program relying on goat and chicken manure
rather than synthetic fertilizer, was implemented in 2005.
** Atypical of most farms in San Rafael, 100% of this finca is in production.
** A Worker's House and Large Barn.
** Vineyard Tractor with implements, including plows, disc, etc.
- 4 Acres of Aconcagua White Seedless Grapes
- 4 Acres of new Bonarda Grapes (Class B Fine Wine Grapes)
- 4 Acres of Syrah Fine Wine Grapes
- 5 Acres of Cabernet Sauvignon Fine Wine Grapes grown parral style
- 11 Acres of Common Grapes, including Cereza, Moscatel Rosada, Pedro Gimenez, etc.
Plum Orchard as Follows (approximate sizes below):
- 2 Acres of 260 existing D’Agen Plum trees
- 3 Acres of 400 new D’Agen Plum trees
New Olive Orchard as Follows (approximate sizes below):
- 6 Acres of 1200 Missiones Olive trees
