History

In the 16th to 18th centuries, the area we know as Sonoma County appeared on European maps as a mythical kingdom called "Quivira" whose streets were said to be paved with gold. Today, the region's "gold" is the acres of grapevines that thrive there.

Named in honor of this mythical realm, the small, family-owned Quivira Vineyards & Winery was founded in 1981 by Holly and Henry Wendt. Decades later, in the spring of 2006, Pete and Terri Kight purchased the winery from the Wendts, shaking hands on the purchase after just the second meeting. The Kights were captivated by the winery's idyllic setting at the confluence of Wine Creek and Dry Creek and with its historical significance in the evolution of grape growing and winemaking in Dry Creek Valley. They were also struck by Henry's vision for better wine through better vineyard management, using Biodynamic and organic farming techniques-a focus that mirrored their goal of creating a balanced estate capable of producing genuinely world-class wines.

The Kights quickly installed Steven Canter - who trained in Italy, South Africa and Australia and who shared their fervent belief in proactive vineyard management - as Quivira's winemaker. They went on to make significant changes to the winery and the existing vineyards, all with a focus on making world-class wine. Canter began managing the vineyards by the plant and block rather than by the acre, tripling plant density and dropping up to 60 percent of the grape clusters during the growing season to improve fruit saturation. He moved some blocks from cordon trellising to more labor intensive head training for the vines, and he reoriented the vineyard crew to farm for maximum quality rather than quantity. Quivira also acquired additional high elevation vineyards and a 100-year-old Zinfandel vineyard in Dry Creek to add another dimension of fruit structure to the winemaker's palette.

A partnership between the Kights and Steven Canter seemed written in the stars from the time Pete and Steven met through David Powell of Australia's Torbreck Vintners. Canter's approach to winegrowing was formed in large part by his experiences abroad, including working for Beaumont Vineyards in South Africa, Corte Pavone in Tuscany and Tenuta Loacker in the Sud Tyrol-Alto Adige region of Italy. Tenuta Loaker was Canter's first experience working on an active organic and Biodynamic farmed estate and the experience changed his sense of winemaking forever. Also quite significant to his development as a winemaker were the several harvests he worked at Powell's Torbreck Vintners in Australia's famed Barossa Valley. Canter's goal in winemaking is to craft truly distinctive wines that reflect their origin. He passionately believes in proactive organic and Biodynamic farming as the best way to achieve this goal.

Holistic, Sustainable
Quivira is guided by a deeply-held principle of careful stewardship of the land and all its creatures. Since 1998 Quivira has been actively engaged in restoring Wine Creek, the Coho salmon and Steelhead trout spawning stream that winds through the center of the estate. A 55kW solar electric system has supplied 100% of Quivira's energy needs since 2005. Water usage has been dramatically reduced thanks to a steam cleansing machine that uses 98% less water than required by traditional barrel cleansing and soaking routines. Quivira has been a Demeter-certified Biodynamic and organic winery since 2005.

A healthy earth is one of the major goals of Biodynamics and managing soil fertility is a prime area of focus. Instead of using synthetic fertilizers, Quivira uses compost and cover crops to add organic material to feed the vines. A small herd of goats do their part on the estate, mowing down vineyard and creekside weeds in the spring and summer months, and thus helping to naturally control the weeds and the pests they host. About a half-acre of vines was removed at Quivira to make room for a 500 cubic yard compost pile. By composting the entire winery residue and effectively using cover crops, this recycling and crop diversity returns the natural fertility to the soil. The winery manages fertility through particular cover crops, tilled back into the soil at specific times of year to add nutrients when the vines need it most. By regulating vine growth this way, balance and fruit quality are naturally promoted.

In the spring of 2008, Quivira broke ground on a Biodynamic and organic garden designed to educate visitors on farming and viticultural practices as well as supply local markets with fresh produce. The garden includes 120 raised beds, growing a wide variety of produce, a Biodynamic prep tower, pond, greenhouse and chicken coop.

With the exception of its Dry Creek Zinfandel, Quivira wines are 100% estate-grown and produced. The winery is known for its intense Zinfandels and vibrant Sauvignon Blanc, and increasingly for its lush Rhone varietals, such as Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre. In crafting these wines, winemaker Steven Canter foregoes the use of commercial yeast, bacteria or enzymes. Striving to bring forth the true varietal character of each wine, Canter is judicious in his use of new wood and, whenever possible, bottles without filtration.

New packaging introduced in the spring of 2008 illustrates the winery's relationship to its surrounding environment: Each wine features a label with an icon representing a different element of Quivira's Dry Creek Valley estate, such as a red-tailed hawk, a Coho salmon, a honeybee and a crescent moon.

It's All About Culture
The collective Quivira family is guided in large measure by the charismatic Pete Kight who has successfully rallied the team around a strong sense of purpose. The staff shares an entrepreneurial spirit and mutual understanding of how a sustainable, holistic approach to growing grapes can yield, in the end, truly distinctive wines. This sense of community and passion is tangible at Quivira, whether one is walking alongside the restored creek, exploring the gardens, touring the vineyards or enjoying a glass of wine on the winery's patio, overlooking acres of rolling hills and verdant, happy vines.