Introducing Le Colline Vineyard
Hello Angwin Residents,
As many of you know, on March 24th of this year, Napa County approved our Le Colline Vineyard Project. Kathleen and I absolutely love our property on Cold Springs Rd and have enjoyed getting to know everybody we have met in the area since we purchased the property in 2014. Now that our project is approved, it is Kathleen's and my sincerest desire to settle into our Angwin property and become members of the community. With that in mind, we thought it appropriate to reach out to let you know how we have worked over the years to address many of your concerns with the hope that it may also clarify some misunderstanding about the project.
Distance From Linda Falls
Le Colline is¼ mile upslope from Linda Falls and is not visible from Linda Falls or Linda Falls Trail. As a point of comparison, there are two existing vineyards that have been¼ mile upslope from Linda Falls for decades. We understand and agree that Linda Falls is a treasured asset of the community, and have personally spent many hours there appreciating its beauty. When designing our project, we made sure to protect and preserve this incredible place just as the existing vineyards¼ mile upslope from Linda Falls have done. Please see enclosed Map #1 showing the distances from Linda Falls to both Le Colline and the existing vineyards.
Distance From the Linda Falls Trail
The very beginning of the Linda Falls Trail crosses our property, so when we met with our neighbors, they naturally asked us to do what we could to retain the "wooded" feel of the Linda Falls Trail. In response, we moved Block A back from Conn Creek twice the required distance. Now, the average distance from Linda Falls Trail to Le Colline is approx. 790'. We are incorporating the use of quiet and efficient electric tractors for farming. Because of the increased setback, implementation of electric tractors, and the protected forestland between the Linda Falls Trail and our Block A, you will not be able to see or hear the vineyard or its operations when walking the Linda Falls Trail. Please see Map #1 and Map #4 for verification of the distance and the protected forest between Linda Falls Trail and Le Colline Vineyard.
Project Size and Age of Trees
The total project area of Le Colline, which includes vineyard access, tractor avenues and planted area, is 26.97 acres. The total amount of forestland that was not previously agriculture being converted to vines is approximately 15 acres. The remaining 11.97 acres consists of about 5 acres of what was once an old apple orchard and pasture that the final Environmental Impact Report classifies as low biological value forestland, and 6.97 acres of scrub/brushland. Also as confirmed in the Environmental Impact Report, there are no "old growth" forests on the entire property due to it being historically utilized as a working landscape. Kathleen and I have enclosed Map #2, which shows what Le Colline looked like in 1940, Map #3, an aerial photo of Le Colline from 2022, and Map #4, the 2022 aerial photo showing the actual trees and scrub/brushland that will become protected forestland and what will become a vineyard. You will notice almost all of today's trees being converted to vines did not exist in 1940. You will also notice the apple orchard and pasture near Block El and within Block E2. And most importantly, you will notice 70% of the entire property is being preserved in its natural state, far more than what is required. Block El and C of 1.94 total acres, which have the look and feel of a mature forest, will be converted to vines in part because our immediate neighbors appreciated an additional fire break between the D and E2 Blocks and Cold Springs Rd.
Our Napa Valley Roots
Kathleen's and my history with the Napa Valley goes back 30 years. While we recognize our roots don't run as deep as many of yours, our story dates to the early 90's, when I first met Kathleen while she was working for a family owned winery in St. Helena. I am not a professional developer. I am a retired commercial lender and all we want to do is settle in the Valley to make a living growing grapes on our property. Kathleen and I are also part-time Napa Valley residents and have been so since 2019 when our daughter moved out of the property's cottage after completing a harvest internship.
More About Le Colline and Us
Kathleen and I care deeply about the long term economic and environmental viability of the Napa Valley. After being evacuated during the Glass Fire, it became clear to both of us that doing nothing with forest management was no longer an option. We believe strongly in fair and effective environmentalism, and for us, this means we have an obligation to incorporate meaningful environmental solutions and community benefits far beyond what are required into our Le Colline project. We reduced plantable acreage by 18%, will be using electric tractors and transport vehicles, and will carry out an on-site 675 tree planting program so we can achieve net zero with our vineyard operations.
We also agreed to implement a Water Quality Monitoring program with the City of Napa, preserve about 70% of the property in its natural state, and implement a more restrictive Erosion Control Plan that reduces erosion into Conn Creek by 62% from pre-project levels. Given Angwin hasn't burned in roughly 100 years and given the extraordinary pressure every California county faces to create new housing, Kathleen and I believe there is no better way to defend the rural Angwin lifestyle than to use our land to provide additional fire mitigation, prevent future development from ever occurring on the land, and participate in the agricultural economy that has long been the basis of Angwin's rural lifestyle. And as we all know, fire mitigation and perpetual private open space require a continual economic investment; one that Le Colline Vineyard will provide.
If you would like to discuss the Le Colline project further, feel free to reach out to me directly at dave@lecollinevineyards.com. I will do my absolute best to respond in a timely manner.
Kathleen & Dave DiCesaris