Wind Horse
Wind Horse Vineyard is an obscure half-acre plot hidden in the cool, foggy hills west of Sebastopol, just off Burnside Road. It was planted in the early 1970s by Raoul Guzman, a psychology professor at Santa Rosa Junior College. At the time, it was the only vineyard for miles around. In 1993, the vineyard and house were purchased by Jim and Kathy Sparling. The vines had been untended for a time, so they consulted with Carmine Indindoli, a friend and grape grower, on renovating the vineyard to make it productive again. It’s now a quirky and distinctive blend of Pinot Noir clones, including the Martini clone originally planted there.
Vineyard Specs
- appellation
- Russian River Valley
- Year Planted
- 1970s through 2006
- Total Acreage
- 1/2 acre
- Soil
- Goldridge sandy loam
- Rootstock
- AXR, 101-14, 3309
- Clones
- Pinot Noir (Martini, Jackson 9, Mariafeld 23, Dijon clones 113, 114, 115, 777)
- Trellising/Pruning
- Cane pruned
- Owner
- Jim and Kathy Sparling