Our Soils:

Vines are somewhat choosy about their soils.  Our combination of lack of nitrogen, strong drainage and ground rock flours may be "bad" for growing almost anything else, but it is "good" for the vine.

•  Poor Nitrogen Content:  In our soils, there is a lack of nitrogen, making vines work harder to send other nutrients to the grapes and spending less energy on the foliage.
• Excellent Drainage: Grape vines don't do well with wet roots.  Sandy/rocky soils drain water further into the earth.  Roots dig deep to find it, working harder still.
• Ancient Ice: The vineyard was created by glacial erosion, which supplies good mineral nutrition to the vines via ground  rock flours.

 

 
Our Climate:

Situated high above the Ohio River,  La Vigna lays claim to the moderating influence of a large body of water.  Winds blow across the cool waters of the Ohio River and travel directly up a natural chute to the vineyard. This breezeway makes the vineyard unique and enhances the quality of fruit as the winds cool the grapes on hot summer days.  Proximity to the Ohio River is definitely a plus for this site.  The water, leveling out temperature highs and lows, moderates temperatures.  With winds from the southwest, the site has a 185+ day frost-free growing season.