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Now Viewing: Moraga Winery
Moraga Vineyards is a winegrowing estate in the hills of Bel Air, a residential community in the suburbs of Los Angeles. The 16 acres, which Tom and Ruth Jones purchased more than 40 years ago, were first developed as a horse ranch in 1937. The Joneses were inspired to pursue winegrowing in Moraga Canyon because of the similar characteristics of its microclimate and soil to that found in the Bordeaux region of France. The soil differentiates Moraga from other California appellations. Submerged under the Pacific Ocean for millions of years, the Los Angeles Basin was thrust upward to create its current topography. As a result, Moraga has deep gravel beds in the canyon bottom and hillsides composed of an ancient seabed containing marine fossils and shells – ideal for growing high quality wine grapes. Under the direction of the late Roberto Quintana, ranch manager, the first grape vines were planted in 1978. Each small vineyard was designed with geometric precision with the close spacing of up to 2,200 vines per acre. There are ten small vineyards, each having its own distinct character with a total of 13,000 vines. Their objective, in everything they do from growing the grapes to making the wine, is to achieve the highest possible quality that reflects the character of this unique place called Moraga Vineyards.
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