Originally published in the St. Helena Star

When was your winery founded? Who is the owner?

“Lokoya was founded in 1995. We are owned by the Jackson Family.”

Why did you choose to be in the Spring Mountain District American Viticultural Area (AVA)?

“Lokoya’s four mountain AVA wines were made at Cardinale in Oakville for many years. When Fred Aves’ original Yverdon Winery became available on Spring Mountain in 2014, we jumped at the opportunity to give Lokoya a home of its own, to be connected to the history of the building and to be in the center of the valley next to St. Helena.”

How many acres do you farm in the Spring Mountain District AVA? How does that break down into types of varietals/acre?

“The Wurtele Vineyard, which sits at about 800 feet, is 24 acres, and the Yverdon Vineyard, which surrounds the Lokoya Winery and sits at 2,000 feet, is 36 acres.”

Do you farm sustainably/organically/biodynamically?

“We farm organically and are about one step away from being certified regenerative.”

Please describe your vineyards: soil; exposure; narrow spacing; type of trellising; irrigation/dry-farmed, etc.

“Given that our two vineyard sites are at two different elevations, we have every angle to the sun, about four different trellis types, an array of varieties and rootstocks, mostly sedimentary soils, and irrigation on all sites. It’s a great spice rack of individual vineyard blocks that gives us a number of blending choices when we sit down to devise the wines that are sourced from there.”

Wineries today try to differentiate the visitor experience. What is unique about visiting your winery/tasting room?

“We pride ourselves on presenting all the Lokoya mountain wines in an atmosphere that is educational, comfortable and visually stunning. Being at our elevation and the angle we have to the valley goes a long way to resonating with those looking for a visual memory that will not soon be forgotten.”

What might surprise people to learn about you/your winery/your operation?

“We have a ghost. Fred Aves haunts our property and will make himself known on occasion. Our guests and our employees have all had different unexplained encounters with him.”

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?

“Purely from a flavor standpoint, Spring Mountain really stands out from the other three mountains I work on. There is a red fruit, rose petal, orange blossom and really fine tannin aspect that is so different from the darker fruit and broader tannin characters on the other mountains.”

What’s your favorite place in St. Helena to eat, drink or relax?

“I am a fan of so many of the restaurants and the people that work and run those restaurants that it’s hard for me to say. What I will tell you is that for 2.5 years, while I was studying at UC Davis, I worked behind the bar at the original Tra Vigne, now The Charter Oak. That building holds a lot of intense memories for me as a result and will forever be a place of resonance in my life.”

Learn more about Lokoya here

(This is the latest in a series of Q&A articles highlighting winemakers and grapegrowers in the St. Helena area. Lokoya.)