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136 WINES&VINES January 2017 GRAPEGROWING PRACTICAL WINERY & VINEYARD tion and the number of leaves removed from the core is commensurate with the amount of shading being provided at the vine's periphery. To Babcock, the crews are not so much leaf pullers as they are "vine sculptors." "What I love about it is that it allows us to improve wine quality on an individual vine basis, and the whole thing is still practical," Babcock adds. Babcock Vineyards, established in 1978 by Mona and Walter Babcock, was one of the first sites to plant vines in what is now the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. The Babcocks' son, Bryan, finished harvest in September 1984 instead of returning to complete his master's thesis in enology at University of California, Davis. His 1984 estate- grown Sauvignon Blanc won gold medals at the Los Angeles and Orange County Fairs. Babcock, along with Richard Sanford, Rick Longoria and other pioneers, submitted a peti- tion to establish the Sta. Rita Hills AVA in late 1997, and approval was granted in 2001. The AVA has 2,700 acres planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and 18 other cool-climate variet- ies, almost all using the VSP system. Rebounding from the 2008 recession Babcock's inspiration for developing a new farming system came in the wake of the A metal helix loosely captures the canes from two adjacent vines. There are no wires in the fruiting zone, and the trellising system reduces the number of cuts needed for pruning. R edwood efrigeration R 707-766-8950 redwoodrefrig.com Industrial/Commercial Services Winery Systems • Cold Storage • Process Cooling RWRefrigB&WAd.R2.10506.qxd 3/26/07 6:54 PM Page 1 Handcrafted barrels from the heart of France! ! French Oak Acacia! ! ! Espen Jensen, Agent! 707-315-5114! ! winebarrels@me.com! ! www.JensenBarrels.com