Open: Year Round
Wise Villa's wines come from our estate grapes, meaning they are grown right here on the vines surrounding the winery. Nothing at Wise Villa happens by accident, and the Estate Vineyards are a perfect example. When Owner and Winemaker Dr. Grover C. Lee decided to plant a vineyard, he searched and researched until he found a location that would have the perfect microclimate and soils for the wines of distinction he wanted to create.
The Estate Vineyards lie upon rolling hills of loam and decomposed granite that provide excellent drainage all the way down to the clay hardpan deep below. The deep, well-drained soils are perfect for viticulture, forcing the vines to send roots far and wide to obtain water and nutrient, resulting in a vine with a very strong root system. Many farmers are mystified by the suitability of decomposed granite for viticulture, but the answer is simple. While most crops do best on rich soils, resulting in large crops, winegrowing is the opposite. The goal in winegrape-growing is to produce a small amount of grapes of intense flavor, with low crop levels. Soils that are well-drained and more challenging are in fact the perfect soil for grapevines; in fact, most of the great vineyards of France are on gravel soils, limestone soils, rocky soils, or decomposed granite!
