David S. Gates
name: label: Collection Interviewer
content: Edwards, Nanci
label: Collection Interviewer
content: Fleckner, John A., 1941-
label: Collection Interviewer
content: Green, Rayna, 1942- (Curator)
label: Collection Interviewer
content: Johnson, Paula, Curator
label: Collection Creator
content: National Museum of American History (U.S.)
setName: label: See more items in
content: American Wine Documentation Project
label: See more items in
content: American Wine Documentation Project / Series 4: Interviews / 4.1: Interviews and Abstracts
unitdate: label: Date
content: 2002-03-28
container: label: Container
content: Box 1, Folder 13
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Vineyard Manager, Ridge Vineyards, Cupertino, California.  Interview was conducted on March 28, 2001, by Nanci Edwards, John Fleckner, Rayna Green, and Paula Johnson for the American Wine and Food History Project,  National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution.  Abstract and transcription by Cindy Ott.

The interview took place on the grounds of the Lytton Springs vineyard outside Healdsburg, in Sonoma County, California.  A strong wind sometimes obscures the recording.  Nearby construction on the winery, including heavy machinery operations, also are heard.  A video recording was done for portions of the interview. None of the interview questions are included in the interview notes below.  Brackets indicate transcriber's paraphrasing. One original 60-minute cassette; side B partially recorded.

Abstract

David S. Gates, Jr. was trained in vineyard management at the University of California, Davis. Before he arrived at Ridge in 1989, he worked for a vineyard management company in Napa Valley.  In the interview, Gates described grape production, including the forms of work and the obstacles to be overcome to produce successful harvests year after year.  He discussed the differences between grape varieties (including Petit Sirah, Zinfandel, and Cabernet), and the treatment and temperament of old and new plants. Because Lytton Springs vineyard is located both in the Santa Cruz Mountains and lowlands, he addressed the interrelationships between different microclimates and soils, unpredictable weather, and the vines. He also described techniques and theories relating to pruning, to the pros and cons of manual labor vs. mechanization, and to the difficult decision of when to harvest. "Basically," he said, "it's trying to steer an even course between the extremes of weather and trying to make the grapes behave enough so that they can get ripe and taste good."