A New Vineyard Planted on the Galvin Ranch

By John Barinaga

When the Galvins filed an application to subdivide the Triangle G Ranch in 1996, the ranch consisted of six parcels totaling 1,803 acres. Subsequently, they have sold a 57-acre parcel south of Route 116, which has since been planted as a vineyard. The remaining five parcels are shown in the following map:

About one third of Parcel 10 (APN 068-040-010), totaling 300 acres, is now also being developed as a vineyard. A total of 96 acres has been leased to the UCC Vineyards Group, which is preparing 81.7 acres for a planting of “super premium” grapes. The following map shows the location of the new vineyard on the southeast portion of Parcel 10.

The UCC Vineyards Group is a Napa-based grower of premium wine grapes. The new vineyard is called the Rodgers Creek Vineyard of the Sonoma Views Vineyards LLC. Officials of the group picked an area of the Galvin Ranch that has the soil type, sun exposure, and wind protection considered suitable for growing premium wine grapes.

The 96-acre plot is adjacent to the Cabral property (which is to the east of the Galvin property) where the UCC Vineyards Group also has about 90 acres of vineyard. Access to the Rodgers Creek Vineyard is from the Cabral property. The Cabral vineyard is reached from the access to the transfer station off Route 116.

Vineyard leases normally run 25 to 34 years. The lower two parcels of the Galvin Ranch, those accessed from Route 116, have about 400 acres that could be planted with grapes, but the soils, on the balance, are not as good as those on the part selected for the Rodgers Creek Vineyard. The UCC Vineyards Group intends to design the vineyard to preserve the natural beauty of the area.