Some dirt, yesterday

By: Olly Wehring - 23 September 2010 13:32

Now, I'd appreciate it if you didn't guffaw or conclude that today is a slow news day, because, respectively, it's not funny, and it isn't. But, yes, this is a picture of a pile of dirt.

Some soil yesterday...

One of the more curious press releases I have received arrived overnight, from California. It turns out that this soil comes from some of the vineyards of Napa which border the Napa River in the Rutherford American Viticultural Area.

The Rutherford Dust Society (of course!) is looking to restore the natural flow of the river, the banks of which have been steeply eroded of late. Subsequently, six landowners, including the David Guggenhime family. the Quintessa Estate, the Ranch Winery, Frog’s Leap, Caymus, and Carpy-Conolly Ranch, have rededicated seven acres of vineyard to the river corridor worth US$2.1m.

“This must be the most valuable dirt in America,” said project coordinator Gretchen Hayes in the statement. “It is truly a mountain of Rutherford Dust, and the greatest wines in America are grown in this coveted red soil.”

Let me know if you'd like some and I'll put you in touch.