about bavarian lion vineyard

Ehret Winery sources all fruit from their family estate Bavarian Lion Vineyard, a 600-acre vineyard ranch in Knights Valley, Sonoma County, California. Since 1996, the Ehret Family have sold their fruit to many well-known Sonoma County wineries and have practiced sustainable viticulture under the direction of Alex Vyborny, of Vyborny Vineyard Management.

To ensure ecologically respectful viticulture, the Ehret use solar panels to generate the energy needed on the ranch. The vineyards are planted to only 1/3 of the entire property, which allows over half of the ranch to be kept as wildnerness for local wildlife.

about knights valley

Knights Valley is located in the northeastern part of Sonoma County between the northern part of Napa Valley and the southern part of Sonoma County's Alexander Valley. Knights Valley sits at the base of Mount Saint Helena which straddles both Napa and Sonoma Counties. The Russian River once flowed through Knights Valley but volcanic activity and the creation of Mount Saint Helena rose the valley floor and turned the river west, creating a unique microclimate protected from ocean influence with warmer temperatures in the summer and colder temperatures in the winter as well as rich volcanic soils ideal for growing cabernet sauvignon.

grape varietals

Bavarian Lion Vineyards are planted to Cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, malbec, petite sirah, syrah, sémillon, and sauvignon blanc. Ehret Family Winery produces several different blends from their estate vineyards including, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, and a Red Meritage.

soil composition

The warmer climate, slightly higher elevation, and the volcanic soils of Knights Valley make it an excellent area to grow the famed red wine grapes of Bordeaux (cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, malbec, and petite verdot). The soil is well-drained and consists of sandy and gravelly loams formed from mixed sedimentary and basic rock.