French Camp Vineyards

Infobox Winery
winery_name = French Camp Vineyards
winery_| location_city = Paso Robles AVA
location_country = USA
appellation = Paso Robles
former_name =
other_labels=
year_founded = 1973
first_vintage = 1976
key_people = Hank Ashby(Manager), James Ontiveros(Sales), Steve Miller (Owner), Nicholas Miller (Owner)
parent_company =
cases_per_year =
signature_wine = Anglim, Edna Valley, Fess Parker, Fetzer, Kendell Jackson, Mosby, Tobin James, Mid Life Crisis
varietal1 = Zinfandel
varietal2 = Syrah
varietal3 = Chardonnay
varietal4 = Merlot
varietal5 = Grenache
varietal6 = Petite Sirah
varietal7 = Sangiovese
varietal8 = Sauvignon Blanc
varietal9 = Lagrein
varietal10 = Cabernet Sauvignon
other_product1=
other_product2=
other_product3=
other_product4=
other_product5=
homepage= http://www.frenchcampvineyards.com
distribution
tasting=

French Camp Vineyards is a vineyard in Paso Robles California, U.S.A. which is in the Paso Robles AVA.

History

Originally, the French Camp land was part of the San Juan Ranch. Over time, The San Juan Ranch was split into a number of parcels including the French Camp area, which became a part of the Camatta Ranch. The Miller family purchased The Camatta Ranch property in 1968, believing that it could be developed to various crops including wine grapes. They leased parts of it out for a few years while they gathered information as to climate, soils, and water for irrigation. Initially, convert|200|acre|km2|1 were planted to wine grapes in 1973.

The French Camp operation is a team effort among the people who have grown the grapes, those that have managed its business affairs, those that have sold the production (whether it was grapes or cuttings), and those that have done strategic planning for future growth. These team members include Hank Ashby, Vineyard Manager, Joe Farley, Assistant Vineyard manager, Debbie Strange, the Office Manager, James Ontiveros, grape salesman, and members of the Miller family, who own French Camp Vineyards.

Working together, this group has grown French Camp to over convert|1700|acre|km2|0.

Vineyard mechanization

In cooperation with the University of Arkansas, Dr. Justin Morris (Director of Food Science & Engineering at U of A), and OXBO International, Hank Ashby, Vineyard Manager for French Camp Vineyards has adopted a new method for producing a better balanced and consistent crop.

The Morris-Oldridge canopy management system achieves yields within 10% of the yield goal. By using mechanization for pruning, shoot thinning, and fruit thinning, crop levels can be adjusted several times during the growing season. This practice would be cost prohibitive if not for mechanization.

In the average vineyard, annual yield can very as much as 50% year to year, making it very difficult to predict budgetary and wine productions numbers.

Moreover, in conjunction with Paso Robles Wine Services, French Camp has conducted trails demonstrating better quality fruit production as a result of the balanced cropping technique when compared against hand farmed fruit in many cases.

References

*cite news|url=http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=features&content=52206|title=Grower Interview James Ontiveros. Experience buying grapes for Gallo and Kendall-Jackson makes selling them easier|last=Daniel|first=Laurie|date=January 2008|work=Wines & Vines|accessdate=2008-07-31 Interview with James Ontiveros, director of sales and marketing for (among others) French Camp Vineyard.
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External links

* [http://www.frenchcampvineyards.com French Camp Vineyards official web site]
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