About Our Vineyard

YOU MIGHT KNOW RESCUE DOG WINES IS COMMITTED TO SHARING HALF OUR PROFITS WITH RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS, BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT WE’RE ALSO DEDICATED TO SUSTAINABLE FARMING?

When we started Rescue Dog Wines, we knew we wanted to make premium, sustainable wine that honored the rich winemaking history of California. We quickly fell in love with Lodi, a community outside Sacramento with historic roots in American winemaking that date back over 100 years.

After two years of searching for just the right property, in 2017 we purchased a vineyard in Acampo (just a few minutes’ drive north of Lodi). We knew we had a lot of work ahead of us to get the vineyard ready for planting and were fortunate to meet and partner with Round Valley Ranches and vineyard manager Aaron Shinn.

We couldn’t have asked for a better collaboration. As Aaron says, “Round Valley Ranches is a client-oriented, client-driven vineyard management company. Our goal is to work with the client to make them successful. We’re a company that’s built on long-term relationships.” We’ve watched our vineyard transform under Round Valley Ranches’ management. Aaron has guided us through every step of the revitalization of the Acampo property and shares our vision for a sustainable vineyard that yields exceptional grapes for exceptional wine.

We cleared the then-abandoned vineyard, preserving the oak trees and as much native habitat as possible, and planted baby vines in 2020. Using a vertical shoot position (VSP) trellis system, we started with three grapes varieties: Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, and Sangiovese.

LODI RULES

Vineyard owners, farmers, and winemakers in Lodi have been at the forefront of sustainable winemaking practices for decades. In the 1990s, the Lodi Winegrape Commission implemented programs to educate area farmers and reduce their reliance on pesticides through integrated pest management. This program ultimately grew into the Lodi Rules certification, which is respected internationally for pioneering sustainable farming practices in the industry. There are over 1,200 Lodi Rules–certified vineyards now, from California, to Washington, to Israel.

Round Valley Ranches introduced us to Lodi Rules, knowing the certification program was in line with our goals for sustainability and quality. We are proud to say that our Acampo vineyard is Lodi Rules–certified.