About us
Located in Aptos, California, Rosscienda Vineyard is about five miles inland at about 600 ft. elevation. We have three acres of Pinot Noir planted in 2015 that produced our first excellent vintage of Pinot Noir in 2018!
We have half an acre of Chardonnay planted in 2018 that produced our first excellent vintage of Chardonnay in 2021! Luck? No, probably the same terroir characteristics as our esteemed vineyard neighbors including Storrs, Nicholson, Alfaro, Lester Family, and Windy Oaks among others!
The Vineyard Team
We are very fortunate to have Prudy Foxx, renowned guru of Santa Cruz Mountain Apellation wines, as our teacher and consultant. The first time she visited our site, she was blown away by its open, gently sloping, southwest exposure. Her enthusiasm increased upon receiving the soils report finding rich, sandy loam. We have Prudy to thank for encouraging our project and steering it right from the beginning!
Prudy strongly recommended we hire Nick Pisano as our vineyard Manager from day one. He has complete responsibility for the on-going care and maintenance of the vineyard. There would be no thriving vineyard without Nick!
Our winemaker,
Dave Moore, first worked in vineyards and wineries as a teenager at the historic Martin Ray Estate. While attending UC Davis, he apprenticed at Mt. Eden Vineyards, Zaca Mesa Winery, and Kent Rasmussen Winery. He returned to the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1998 to work at Bonny Doon Vineyards.
Dave Moore, Doug Ross (Owner), Nick Pisano
Sustainable Farming
Our small lot estate vineyard produces 400 cases of wine a year. We know that great wine comes from the vine and that vine flavors are derived from a healthy and biodiverse terroir both above and below ground. Soils are cared for with regenerative practices designed to support and enhance the vibrant life of the subterranean world of the root zone of the vines.
We use a complex blend of cover crops and organic mineral supplements that include crushed limestone, seaweeds, algae and carefully managed compost to feed the existing well-drained loam. Above ground we have implemented sustainable systems designed to support biodiversity including bird support structures, beehives, and native plants that provide natural habit for beneficial insects. Weeds are controlled mechanically and never with chemical herbicides.
Approaching retirement, we searched for a large piece of property on which to build our dream home with plenty of land to walk our dogs off-leash. Since the design was Spanish hacienda style and our last name is Ross, our architect began calling it the “Rosscienda.” The name stuck and eventually became the name of the home, the vineyard and the winery!
After several harvests of both Pinot and Chardonnay that produced commendable wines, we decided to “go for it” by building a winery barn, converting to a winegrower/producer retail license, and making our first wine at the Rosscienda from the harvest of 2023!
