Vineyards
Meet our Grape Growers
Rorick Heritage Vineyard
Forlorn Hope’s estate vineyard is located in Calaveras County, just outside of the town of Murphys in the Sierra Foothills. The first vines were planted by Barden Stevenot in 1976 and expanded to its current 75 acres in 2000; Matthew Rorick took over the vineyard in 2013 and converted the farming to organic practices. At an elevation of 2000′, it is situated on limestone soils beneath a top layer of schist. The alpine growing season combined with limestone soils leave an indelible mark on the wines grown at RHV: beautiful aromatics, textural presence, and bright natural acidity are all hallmarks of the site.
Element 79 Vineyard
Nestled in the rolling hills of El Dorado County, deep in the heart of California Gold Country, our property is located in the Fair Play AVA, which has the distinction of being the California AVA with the highest average elevation. Situated at 2,400 feet above sea level, our property encompasses 70 acres- 32 of which are planted with grapes. The lower vineyard consists of 20 acres planted with 8 acres of Zinfandel, 2 acres of Cab Franc, 1 acre of Petite Verdot and 7 acres of Syrah. The upper vineyard consists of 12.5 acres planted with 5 acres of Petite Sirah, 5 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and 2.5 acres of Viognier. Our soil of decomposed granite are sandy loam classified with excellent drainage and are ideal for the grapes they support. Our mission is to employ the best farming practices to grow the highest quality grapes and produce premium estate-grown single varietal and blended wines.
Wooldridge Creek Vineyard
The vineyard consists of fifty-six acres of grapes on approximately 180 acres of land, much of which is forested. The upper vineyard was homesteaded by the Wooldridge Family in the 1870’s and the creek running through the property bears their name. The creek provides a wildlife corridor for the bears and other animals who have become part of the Wooldridge Creek lore. Black bears, the most voracious of the local wildlife, help manage crop levels, easily scaling or breaking their way through any vineyard fencing that might be in their way. The most effective deterrent so far has been to take the “offensive” and leave talk radio playing at a high volume in the vineyard through the night.
Atlas Vineyard Management
Atlas Wines is owned and operated by Atlas Vineyard Management, a new-generation farming company with more than 100 years of combined expertise developing and farming world-class vineyards and providing high-quality grapes. With over 3,500 acres of select vineyards to manage, our options for fruit are virtually limitless.