Little Big Block

The Little Big Block Vineyard was planted in these deep, pure sand soils on a slope at the edge of the San Joaquin River in Contra Costa County, back in 1895 by Portuguese and Italian immigrants. As was typical of the era, they planted a variety of red grapes (“mixed blacks”) including Mourvèdre, Carignane, Zinfandel, and even Alicanté Bouschet. They are an anachronism also for the fact that they are bush vines; impossible to farm or harvest by newfangled modern mechanical means , and demand extra attention and skill in every aspect of the growing season.  In the face of encroaching housing developments on every side, we hope our work with these old vines creates enough interest and value for the current generation of growers to keep on keeping on for the next generation.

Nighttime pick of Mourvedre at Little Big Block planted in 1895 with two tractors and a team of pickers hoisting their picking bins high in the air lit up by the tractor’s lights and those of the pickers own headlamps.

Nighttime pick of Mourvedre at Little Big Block planted in 1895 with two tractors and a team of pickers hoisting their picking bins high in the air lit up by the tractor’s lights and those of the pickers own headlamps.

Colorful pink and purple and blue sunrise with power lines visible and the headlights of a tractor backlighting an especially bushy Carignane vine at Little Big Block Vineyard, planted in 1895.

Colorful pink and purple and blue sunrise with power lines visible and the headlights of a tractor backlighting an especially bushy Carignane vine at Little Big Block Vineyard, planted in 1895.

A partly filled grape bin with Mourvèdre grapes with the designated leaf-puller in a bright pink hooded sweatshirt at left, with the power lines and pinks of sunrise visible at the horizon at this old vineyard in Contra Costa County planted in 1895.

A partly filled grape bin with Mourvèdre grapes with the designated leaf-puller in a bright pink hooded sweatshirt at left, with the power lines and pinks of sunrise visible at the horizon at this old vineyard in Contra Costa County planted in 1895.

Sunrise scene of a tractor pulling 2 empty grape bins underneath tall Power lines and John carrying a cup of coffee- an essential item for nighttime harvest work!

Sunrise scene of a tractor pulling 2 empty grape bins underneath tall Power lines and John carrying a cup of coffee- an essential item for nighttime harvest work!