| |
 |
|
|
Our History
 Kief-Joshua Vineyards is a small family business that is situated on 20 acres in beautiful Elgin, Arizona, right in the middle
of what has become known as "winery row." Our first planting was in 2005 and we have about ten acres under vine, consisting of ten different varieties: Tempranillo,
Mourvedre, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Syrah, Zinfandel, Reisling,
Semillion and Viognier. And we continue to expand our vineyards every year. Our
first harvest was in the fall of 2008. Proudly, we will release our first 2008 Estate
Viognier this summer, while our 2008 Estate Tempranillo will reman aging in a
combination of french and american oak barrels until 2010. This fall we expect a
larger crop from our vineyard, but will still rely on sourced fruit. This year our
supplier from Dragoon, Arizona.
The idea to start a vineyard and winery stemmed from a long standing hobby of
winemaking and gardening at home. "Kief was making wine in his home in
Tempe," said Jeff Manning, Wine Sales Manager. "The day we tasted his lemon
wine, which was made from fruit off a tree in his backyard, I knew he had found
his passion."
In 2002, after the decision was made to open a winery, the house was sold, the
property purchased and Kief Manning left Arizona State University, to pursue
Viticulture studies in Australia, where he earned both a graduate and
undergraduate degree in Viticulture and Enology.
Kief practices traditional winemaking methods of minimal interference, open
fermentation and barrel aging. In 2006, Kief eliminated the use of herbicides and
pesticides in the vineyard. "We strive for excellence in winemaking and
sustainability in our vineyard," says Kief. "With time, I hope to produce
outstanding Arizona wines that demonstrate the intensity, richness and complexity
of the area."
Kief-Joshua Vineyards is a winery defined by family, passion and enthusiasm.
We're committed to winemaking that will exceed your expectations.
Our Vineyard Philosophy
At Kief-Joshua Vineyards we specialize in dry, full-bodied wines, that are crafted
by hand using traditional methods of barrel aging and gentle handling to produce
top quality wines for any occasion.
Our Vineyard practices are customized to match the particular characteristics of
the soil to help the vines produce the best fruit possible, and to in turn, achieve
the best wine possible. Directed by Kief Manning, his team implements irrigation
and nutrient regimes, trellis system and canopy management, rootstock and clone
combinations, and pruning and cane selection for each block within a vineyard.
Because of the land’s diverse geological makeup, even within one vineyard parcel
there may be several different types of soil with different degrees of nutrients for
vines and water-holding capacity.
In addition, Kief practices sustainable farming techniques, such as recycling
organic matter for use as mulch in the vineyards, planting cover crops and other
plant species to avoid soil erosion, add desirable nutrients back to the soil and to
attract desirable insects, and integrating animals to naturally enhance biodiversity
and nutrient recycling.
Striving for Environmentally Friendly Vines
Kief-Joshua Vineyards is practicing sustainable farming techniques to help protect
the land. Kief realized early on that to achieve his goal of producing memorable
wines of outstanding quality, he needed to start in the vineyards and not focus
solely on the winemaking. Inspired to meet present goals while preserving the
land for future generations, Kief made the commitment to implement sustainable
farming techniques from vineyard to bottle. The vineyard is free of herbicides
and pesticides, and this environmentally approach will continue to be
implementing over the years.
 Weed Control
Kief-Joshua uses Kimko equipment to eliminate the weeds effectively without the use of herbicides. Baby Doll sheep, an ancient breed measuring only two feet tall at maturity, have been integrated into the vineyard rows to graze on the green grass and weeds, enhancing both biodiversity and nutrient recycling. This practice will decrease the use of harsh pesticides to eradicate weeds and grasses, as well as the cutting down on emissions to the air.
Integrating Wildlife Into the Vineyard
The addition of nesting boxes, hawk perches and bird houses for various species
will be situated around the vineyard, and will be an integral part of the
sustainable program. Attracting desirable owls and bird species to patrol the
vineyards will also decrease the amount of gophers and rodents that can pose a
problem in the vineyard. We are also hatching praying mantis to aid in the
elimination of unwanted creatures.
Organic Recycling and Crop Nutrition
Kief-Joshua Vineyard ensures natural crop nutrition by recycling organic matter,
such as discarded and collected grape stems, for use as mulch in the vineyards,
and the use of naturally occurring cover crops. These practices have many
benefits: use of mulch in the vineyard and planting of cover crops adds back
desirable, rich, moist and long lasting nutrients to the soil and helps prevent soil
erosion; the integration of desirable plants throughout the vineyards attract
advantageous insects which helps to naturally resist pest and disease attacks from undesirable species.
Recycling Wine Barrels
In lieu of discarding the wine barrels, Kief and Jeff are turning the old barrels into
high-top barrel tables, end-tables, candle holders, bottles racks, clocks,
chandeliers and baskets. All are reasonably priced and for sale in our tasting
room.
|
|
|
 |
|
|
