The property has a pretty creek that meanders through the property about eight months a year, giving the vines a wonderful water table to stretch their roots toward. The dirt in the vineyard is a rich, red loam that the vines seem to love. Mark's vineyard manager, Roberto Ordaz, and his family live in a 100 year old house on the property and have for many years. Roberto and his family add a lot of character and personality to the property. They care for it as Mark does.

The vineyard has the terroir that Pinot Noir loves; warm, sunny days, and the cooler nights brought in by the breeze from the Pacific Ocean. Terroir is French for  "a sense of place", but has come to mean the combination of land, weather and other things that give the grapes, and thus, the wine, a distinct flavor and palate. Russian River appellation wines are known for their wonderful, distinct flavor and taste.

The vineyard is now a broad selection of Pinot Noir clones (the top part of the vines that bear the fruit) which gives us a broad palate to blend our wines from. And when you put this kind of a palate in the hands of a wine maker like Michael Browne, you get that wonderful alchemy that gives you art in a bottle.