Viticulture briefs

<p class="bold allcaps">Jackson Family Wines confirms Oregon purchase</p> <p>Jackson Family Wines announced Friday it has bought three properties in Oregon's Willamette Valley, marking the company's first U.S. acquisitions outside California.</p><p>Located in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, the Zena East and Zena Middle parcels are planted with 42 acres of pinot noir grapes. The other parcel the company acquired, Maple Grove, is unplanted. </p><p>“I admire pinot noirs from the Willamette Valley and its sub-appellations like Eola-Amity Hills,” Barbara Banke, chairman of Jackson Family Wines, said in a statement. “The best pinots from Oregon are refined and profound with excellent ageability. When we saw Zena East, Zena Middle and Maple Grove, we were enthused by the prospect of making world-class pinot noir from these distinctive properties.”</p><p>The deal closed on Friday. Financial terms were not disclosed.</p><h3>Workshop for Spanish-speaking vineyard employees on Saturday</h3> <p>The Sonoma County Winegrowers and the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation are sponsoring a vineyard employee workshop in Spanish on frost and water conservation management practices.</p><p>The workshop will be held on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at 3637 Westwind Blvd. in Santa Rosa. </p><p>Tom Gore Jr. of Constellation Brands will discuss the best management practices in conjunction with the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance Code of Sustainable Winegrowing. The talk will cover the importance of vigilance in monitoring the source and timing of water used for frost protection and water conservation practices to protect salmon in our local waterways. Frank Jimenez of Wyatt Irrigation Supply will cover basic sprinkler head and system maintenance for best efficiency. </p><p>RSVP by Wednesday to karen@sonomawinegrape.org. There is no cost to seminar participants but space is limited. For more information call Karen at 707-522-5862.</p><h3>Ramey buys vineyard on Westside Road</h3> <p>Ramey Wine Cellars, the Healdsburg winery owned by David and Carla Ramey, has purchased its first vineyard.</p><p>The 75-acre property on Westside Road was formerly known as Westside Farms, which at one point was a pumpkin farm. The parcel includes 42 acres of chardonnay and pinot noir vineyards in the Russian River appellation.</p><p>“My wife Carla and I have been looking for properties for a few years, and this is a 75-acre parcel that has really high-quality chardonnay that will become the basis of our Russian River chardonnay bottling,” said David Ramey, owner and winemaker. “It also has this charming semi-historic hop kiln that we will turn into a tasting room.”</p><p>The Rameys, who used to bring their children to that pumpkin farm, founded Ramey Wine Cellars in 1996 and currently produce 35,000 cases per year. They will honor the grape contracts that came with the property, and in several years will use the grapes in their own wine.</p><p>Compiled by Cathy Bussewitz. Submit items to cathy.bussewitz@pressdemocrat.com</p>