Originally published in the St. Helena Star
When was your winery founded? And why did you choose to be in the Spring Mountain District American Viticultural Area (AVA)?
In 1981 Carroll and Christina Ballard took up residence in Napa Valley, Carroll coming from Los Angeles and Christina from Switzerland. Both were involved in the movie business. Living first on the Silverado Trail, they often would look across the valley at the dark and mysterious forested mountain, wondering what might be hidden there. Some nine years later they found out by purchasing an old 52-acre walnut orchard at the very top of Spring Mountain.
On their first visit to the place they were greeted with 6 inches of snow on the ground. That following summer they lived in a tent, got close to nature, listened to the coyotes howling at the moon. There were no thoughts of wine in their heads.
But after meeting some locals and talking to the neighbors, they learned some of the history of the place. Early on Spring Mountain was a favorite place for planting vineyards. Many of the early immigrants from Europe traditionally planted vines in the hills and used the valley floor, where the terrain was flat and the soil deeper, for the basic commodities like grain, cattle and orchards. All around the place were remnants from that time: old logging saws, carts, wagons and numerous rows of old redwood grape stakes, all sitting out, on what once had been a terraced slope, now claimed back by a forest of lush conifers, madrones, toyons, oaks and manzanitas. Every once in a while there was an old forgotten grapevine climbing high up towards the light, holding on to the massive trunk and branches of a tall tree. A lonely survivor from the past when the land had been abandoned, perhaps it was the power of those minute aphids which caused such merciless destruction, the ratification of the 18th Amendment, maybe during the onset of the Great Depression?
During the 1990s, the idea to bring the old vineyard back took hold. The Ballards retired from movie land and jumped into the dirt, removing the blight-stricken walnut orchard and replanting it with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. At first they planted 10 acres and found eager buyers for the valuable hilltop grapes. After a few years, a close friend who also happened to be a fine and respected winemaker offered to vinify one ton of grapes in his cellar. The result was very satisfying, and from then on the Ballards produced some 150 to 200 cases per year.
Who is owner?
Christina Lüscher-Ballard and Carroll Ballard.
How many acres do you farm in the SMD AVA?
20 acres.
Do you farm sustainably/organically/biodynamically?
By 2016 the farming practices, having begun sustainably, began moving forward towards organic with permanent cover crop, compost and compost tea for fertilizer, no weed killer, no pesticides, as more and more alternatives became available.
Please describe your vineyards: soil; exposure; narrow spacing; type of trellising; irrigation/dry farmed, etc.
The vineyard is planted in volcanic soil with 90% of it on gently rolling hills with southern exposure. The elevation is between 2,000 and 2,100 feet, the vines are trained on upright cordon, the spacing is in most blocks 7×4, around 30,000 vines in total.
The days tend to be a bit cooler up here, the nights a bit warmer than on the valley floor, and often there is less fog than down below.
Wineries today try to differentiate the visitor experience. What’s unique about visiting your winery/tasting room?
We don’t have a winery or a tasting room. Our wines are available through our website.
What might surprise people to learn about you/your winery/your operation?
Carroll has directed a number of movies and Christina is originally from Switzerland, where the couple today spends part of their time.
What is special about the Spring Mountain District AVA in your opinion? Is it misunderstood? What do you wish visitors knew about it which perhaps they don’t?
Nothing is perfect, but this place comes pretty close. We consider ourselves very lucky. Spring Mountain has been good to us. It still has the feel of a farming community where people talk to each other and share experiences in lieu of industrial farming. Here it still feels very personal.
What’s your favorite place in St. Helena to eat, drink or relax?
We love going to the farmers’ market and spending time at the playground there with our grandson.
Learn more about Ballard Vineyard here
(This is the latest in a series of Q&A articles highlighting winemakers and grapegrowers in the St. Helena area. This piece was submitted by Carroll and Christina Ballard of Ballard Vineyard and Lüscher-Ballard Wine.)