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NO VEMBER NEWS French Soil Experts Make Site Visit C Madroña Vineyards hopes to better match vines to El Dorado County soils amino, Calif.—Internationally known French soil scientists Claude and Lydia Bourguignon made their first visit California's Sierra Foothills in September, spending two days at Madroña Vineyards in El Do- rado County to evaluate soils and collect samples for lab analysis. The Bourguignons founded the indepen- dent Laboratory for the Analysis of Soil Microbiology in 1990. The couple has vis- ited more than 30 countries collecting and analyzing soils and has built a database of 12,000 soils worldwide. Madroña's vineyard manager and wine- maker Paul Bush invited the Bourguignons to the foothills after he and his wife Mag- gie, Madroña's general manager, met them during a 2011 trip to the Cahors region in France to learn more about Malbec pro- duction. A day prior to the Bourguignons' arrival, four 5-foot-deep soil pits were dug at dif- nay, Riesling, Cabernet Franc and Zin- fandel. At each soil pit, the Bourguignons measured the root depths of indicator vines, made visual observations of soil lay- ers, compaction, soil moisture and perme- ability. They also performed some basic field chemistry testing for pH and the pres- ence of elements such as iron. The general soil type at Madroña is weathered volcanic material including vol- canic ash and rocks of more solid volcanic tuff, with drainage and permeability. which helps Soil winesandvines.com Claude and Lydia Bourguignon use soil pits to evaluate indicators such as moisture and pH. ferent locations, representing both strong and weak areas in the vineyard, and at the sites of four different varieties—Chardon- samples were taken at different depths, then bagged and labeled to undergo more detailed analysis at the lab in France. Citing the importance of soil bi- ology, Claude Bourguignon explained, "If you can retain and develop your site-specif- ic soil microbiology, then it provides a more site-specific terroir for your wine." —Jon Tourney Learn more: Search keywords "soil experts." TRY BEFORE YOU BUY – CONTACT YOUR LOCAL REP TODAY FREE TRIAL OF OUR NEW TANKJET® 55 BARREL CLEANER SUPERIOR SPRAY. SERIOUS RESULTS. TankJet 55 barrel cleaner for cleaning barrels up to 5' (1.5 m) in dia. Take advantage of this risk-free offer to try our new TankJet 55 barrel cleaner in your winery. You'll experience benefits like these: • Powerful cleaning using low flow rates to prevent toast removal and reduce water and chemical use • Fast cycle times enable cleaning of multiple barrels in minutes • Durable construction and use of wear-resistant materials extend service life • Easy to use – compatible with most pumps and pressure washers Try the TankJet 55 today! Call 1-800-95-SPRAY or visit TankJet.com. WINES & VINES NOVEMBER 2012 17