Our Operating Plan
Gracious Grapes
Briarwood Vineyards will be a small estate winery specializing in premium Rhone varietal wines with special emphasis on Zinfandel and Syrah. Other varietals such as Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Mourvedre, Viognier, Petit Sirah, Cabernet and Tempranillo will be used as blenders with the two primary wines. The property is currently planted with 20 acres of vines on land that has the terroir necessary for developing grapes with intense flavors, deep color, and the acid, PH and sugar content appropriate to our chosen varietals.
Our goal is to achieve an extraordinary and exclusive reputation through limited production of the highest-quality estate wines. As evidence of our focus on quality rather than quantity, we intend to produce just 1,000 to 2,000 cases annually during our start-up phase and only 5,000 cases annually at full production. Crush and press operations will occur primarily within the winery structure several weeks per year. We'd like to have annual production principally sold by the beginning of each year to loyal customers who recognize and appreciate our level of expertise and quality.
Like many Napa wineries, we plan to implement "by appointment only" tastings during limited hours that will reinforce the exclusive reputation of Briarwood Vineyards and result in less traffic at the winery itself. Our marketing efforts will concentrate on moving tastings out of the winery and directly into corporate retreats and events with a wine-tasting component.
Going Green
We plan to file for certification as an organic farming operation this year. All grapes grown on Briarwood property will be farmed organically and used exclusively in Briarwood wines.
Having the winery on the premises will reduce overall handling of the grapes, help fine-tune harvest time to the optimum moment, and assure greater quality of grapes and wine. Briarwood wines will be crafted using gravity flow to ensure gentle handling of the grapes.
Building Our Heritage
The present day Briarwood Vineyards are a natural extension of the longstanding Agrarian roots of this land. Dry farm crops, cattle, walnut orchards to name a few, are the precursors of Briarwood, and are a continuation of the Agrarian heritage of the land. Given this history of the region it was a simple conclusion to derive the architectural character of Briarwood from the land and its heritage.
To appropriately convey the heritage of the land, Pults & Associates studied the Vitacultural history of Templeton, a community that played a significant role in Early California Viticulture. Turn of the century Wineries constructed in Templeton include the Rotta, Pesenti, York Mountain, and Nerelli Wineries. All exist today, and have been studied extensively by our design team. These simple, purpose built wineries all have contributed to the architecture of Briarwood.
In researching these wineries, we discovered simple agrarian forms based on function and economy of materials. Early agriculturalists relied heavily on gravity process flow, earth sheltered structures, and sustainable "green" designs. These concepts have been incorporated into Briarwood, as well as modern design principals intended to further minimize energy consumption, maximize resources, and to provide a simple, understated, agrarian presence to Briarwood. Design of the iconic barn forms, embraced and enveloped by the earth, will result in a quiet presence for the winery at Briarwood.
