Planted in 2003, Michael’s Estate Vineyard contains 22 acres of traditional head-trained, dry-farmed heritage Zinfandel, whose clones were sourced from plantings in the Paso Robles AVA dating back to the 1890s. The name tributes Adelaida’s Vineyard Manager Emeritus, Michael (Mike) Whitener, whose been working with Adelaida's vineyards for more than 40 years.
Mike and the rest of the Whitener Family have been an essential part of the Paso Robles wine and farming community for more than six generations. He and his father first worked alongside the Hoffmans to plant the HMR Vineyard in 1964, and then started working with the Van Steenwyks in the 1970s. At the start of the new millennium, it was Mike who advised Don Van Steenwyk to plant head-trained and dry-farmed Zinfandel, as it benefits the soil and site. With Zinfandel also having a rich history in Paso Robles, it was very fitting to name the new Zinfandel vineyard after a man whose roots run deep in both the history of Adelaida and Paso Robles.
Covering a wave-like, undulating hilltop, Michael's Estate Vineyard has varying elevations ranging from 1,580 to 1,735 feet. The holistic practice of dry-farming includes annual spring disking to turn the topsoil, followed by ring rolling to smooth the surface and seal in moisture by compacting dust. At 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the vineyard claims ideal exposure to the natural arc of the summer sun and benefits from the dramatic diurnal temperature drop of 40 to 50 degrees from daytime highs.
