Lava Cap (Placerville/El Dorado County) Reports Harvest is "latest start ever, in 26 years"

Tom Jones, Winemaker and one of the owners of Lava Cap Winery in Placerville, El Dorado County, and wife Beth Jones, Marketing & Sales, note that this harvest is the "latest start ever, in 26 years"...

Tom Jones judges grapes'
readiness for harvest

We are hand picking our Sauvignon Blanc today- it is now at 24 brix, 3 tons/acre and we should have 15 tons coming in on September 29- all estate produced (Tom’s brother Charlie is vineyard mastermind!)


Next, may be the Chardonnay ... but nothing until next week at earliest or maybe some early estate Zinfandel from our sunny slope vineyard.


Ideally the rain will stay north of us and we will have a warm Fall!

We have picked and crushed in early November before but it appears that our harvest 2011 may break that record as well! One upside… all of our bottling which we do on our line is completed this year before crush begins- That is a very good feeling!



About Lava Cap (from their website)

Family tradition is hands-on
at Lava Cap

"Lava Cap Winery began in 1981 when the Jones Family purchased an old 64-acre pear farm in the Sierra Foothills just east of the gold discovery town of Placerville, CA. It was the culmination of a year-long state-wide search for premium vineyard land by David and Jeanne Jones. David Jones, a professional geologist at USGS and later University of California, Berkeley, knew the critical role that soil plays with premium wines. They found that the old farm met their requirements: volcanic soil of modest depth, gentle sloping terrain affording numerous microclimates, a high elevation providing moderate temperatures for even ripening, and an abundance of super quality mountain sourced water. The residual “lava cap” topography had eroded from the volcanic activity in the Sierra Nevada millions of years ago. The old pear farm showed the potential of tremendous terroir and superb wine grapes, and thus was reborn into a vibrant, new enterprise.

Lava Cap Winery has always been a family affair. Family members include sons Tom and Charlie, and their wives. The family started clearing and planting the vineyard in 1981 with Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Charlie took the reins of vineyard management and pursued additional vineyard development with plantings of Petite Sirah, Barbera, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Tom completed the business from grape growers to vintners by earning a Masters degree in Enology & Viticulture, University of California, Davis in 1989.



Over the years, Tom has worked hard to forge the Lava Cap style of elegant, textured-driven wines. Today, his winemaking style creates the consistent quality and concentrated flavors recognized far and wide by Lava Cap wine lovers everywhere. Charlie has developed over 90 acres of vineyard using sustainable practices for Lava Cap’s elegant estate wines. Almost three decades later, the old farm has indeed proven the wonderful terrior that was hinted at many years ago. "