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Since 1971 the DeLoach family has maintained a sustainably grown garden in order to put flavorful, high-quality vegetables and fruits on their table. Today, a half-acre organic garden at the winery provides not only the freshest ingredients for cooking, but also medicinal herbs and botanicals and biodynamic plants for the upkeep of the vineyards. |
The De Loach garden was the winery horse pasture for 23 years and it is a wonderfully rich growing area. Close to a half-acre and located near the flood plain of the Russian River, it is has a cool climate, with night temperatures 20-30 degrees lower than the daytime highs.
The first planting at the winery garden occurred on May 5, 1995. The garden is made up of 61 irrigated, raised beds ranging in size from 6' x 8' to 30' x 32'. The exterior is surrounded with barrels of herbs, flowers, berries, bulbs and a myriad of roses.
Our culinary director oversees the planting and maintenance of the garden, which includes a fountain full of swimming koi carp in a gazebo at the center of the plot. At DeLoach, we want to have the ability to cook regionally, have a continual harvest changing with the seasons, and show off the wealth of ingredients produced in Sonoma County. The fresh produce is used at the hospitality center and enjoyed by winery guests. The flowers are seen in arrangements throughout the winery, and edible ones are used to garnish dishes prepared in the winery kitchen: the fresh herbs make all the difference in the flavors of sauces and salads.
The garden is guided by a biodynamic philosophy, including the use of biodynamic preparations and attention to the lunar cycle, as is true at many Boisset domaines and estates. Biodynamic farming uses the natural rhythms of the cosmos to guide when and how the garden is cultivated. Farm animals, natural vegetation and soil microorganisms all play a role in this closed ecological system, and the fertilizer for the vineyards and garden are composted from materials generated at the winery.
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Three of the garden beds are dedicated to culinary herbs and edible flowers as well as plants that attract pollinators (bees & butterflies) to the garden. This year we've added a bed with the plants for the biodynamic preparations used in the garden and vineyard, along with lots of medicinal herbs.
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TOMATO Orange : Pink : Yellow : Green : Bi-color : White : Red : Purple : PUMPKINS Lumina (White) PEAS Mammoth Melting Sugar SOUTHERN PEAS Crowder Peas, Mississippi purple, large seeded, reddish-purple pods SOYBEANS Early Hakucho, Green BEANS Pole-Type : Bush-Type : Fresh : MISC.VEGETABLES Okra, Clemson Spineless #80, 4 ft, productive BASIL Mrs. Burn's Lemon Basil HERBS-lots & lots Borage SUNFLOWERS Mammoth Giant, Grey-stripe (Edible seeds) Cutting: Pollenless: |
EGGPLANT Dusky (Large fruits, deep purple, 80 days) CHILE PEPPERS, HOT Ring of Fire BELL PEPPERS, SWEET Purple Beauty CUCUMBERS Slicing : SQUASH Summer : MELONS Watermelon : Cantaloupe : CORN Yellow : White : White popcorn : ONIONS/LEEKS/GARLIC White Bunching (Scallion) POTATOES All Blue/ Davis Purple PERENNIAL FRUIT, NUT & VEGETABLES Asparagus FRUIT, CONT Pineapple Guava APPLES Pippin MINTS Orange bergamot mint
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