Bovino Vineyards

Bovino Vineyards  is located in beautiful Templeton, California.  Our estate vineyards are centrally situated in the  El Pomar District of the Paso Robles AVA. 

Bovino Vineyards is an 83.5 acre property with about 45 acres planted to grapes. There are 16 different grape varieties grown on the ranch. Some, like the sauvignon blanc, are a single clone (clone 467) and some, like the cabernet sauvignon, are multiple clones (clones 191, See, 4, and 337). The different clones were selected for the characteristics each brings to the finished wine. There are also four different rootstock clones (1103P, 101-14, 420A, and SO4). The rootstock clones were chosen primarily to align with the soil type the plant is grown in. There are 27 separate blocks with different rootstock/clone combinations in each. Add this complexity to the fact that there are three primary soil types on the property (loam, silt loam, clay loam), the elevation ranges from 1,020 and 1,125 feet above sea level, and the blocks have multiple exposures and sun tracks, and it makes the winemaker glad he does not also manage the vineyard.

Water is plentiful, although hard, and is of a very good quality, with pH test ranges from 7.9 to 8.1. We will normally average about 8 inches of rain annually – so far this year we have received 7.85 inches. It sure would help everything if we got another 4 or 5 inches of rain to defer the need for irrigation. The coastal gap influence also brings cool moist Pacific Ocean air nightly into the ranch, creating temperature swings of 40 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit every day. This is where you will hear “stress the vines to make great wine.” The daily routine in the summer here at Bovino starts when the morning temperature is 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity is 40%; the fruit is firm and the vine is upright and vigorous. At about 3:00 pm in the afternoon, the temperature has increased to 98 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity has dropped to the single digits. At this point, the fruit is showing slight signs of desiccation and the canopy has started to lay over and look a little tired. At 10:00 or 11:00 pm, the temperature has again dropped and the humidity has increased, starting the cycle all over again. This all happens because of a small gap in the coastal mountain range and the fact that Bovino Vineyards is located only 26 miles from the Pacific Ocean.