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Organically Grown Grapes
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Estate Bottled
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Thirty one years ago I began to plant a
small vineyard with the intention of making wine for Shabbos and Yom Tov. I had been making my own kiddush wine for years and the site of the
vineyard, where I live, was promising. The Santa Cruz Mountain wine
growing region of California, though small, has long been known for its
quality wines. The vineyard is situated on a south-facing slope
surrounded by oak and redwood forest looking down the valley to the
Pacific Ocean. It had been planted with wine grapes in the 1880s, but
the original vines were pulled up during prohibition.
| | Four Gates is perhaps the smallest kosher winery in the country. I grow Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc on 3.5 acres. The grapes are certified organic by the CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers). In addition, the vines are not irrigated, so the small yields are quite concentrated. I do nearly all the work of the vineyard myself, except the harvest, which is sometimes a very sweet community event. Also, the wine is estate bottled. This means that one person has overseen the quality of both the growing of the grapes and the making of the wine.
The winery itself is likewise a one-man operation. Far from being a modern computer-monitored factory, it's more like an old fashioned one-room school house with me teaching all the grades; all the various pieces of equipment and barrels sit around the room like children of different ages waiting for their turn.
The wines themselves benefit from the small scale and individual attention and from the unique qualities of the Santa Cruz Mountain environment. The Chardonnay is a full-bodied white wine aged in American oak barrels. It will complement flavorful dishes like roast chicken or baked salmon or Orah's spicy baked tofu. The Merlot is a substantial red wine. It will complement a holiday brisket or a roast.
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We sanctify the Sabbath with wine. But only after a process of elevation, from the vineyard to the cellar to the table Friday night, can we recite kiddush over a full cup. During the week we labor using our strengths and individual gifts to transform the world into a place of goodness, purpose and delight. It is with this intention that I grow grapes and make wine.
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Dear Friends of Four Gates,
The sale of new releases for this year has now taken place and there are no wines currently available. The next sale of new wines is tentatively scheduled for January. Check the website, fourgateswine.com, from time to time and certainly at the end of December for the date and details of the next sale. Or give me a call any time.
Thank you for your interest in Four Gates wines,
Benyamin
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Not Mevushal
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Kosher for Passover
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