Mazzaroth Vineyard
Our Mission:
Our mission is to grow the finest wine grapes in the Catoctin American Viticultural Area or AVA. This AVA is geographically defined from the north by the Mason Dixon line, from the east by Braddock Mountain, from the south by the Potomac River and from the west by South Mountain.
The fermentation and aging process in wine-making are extremely important, however at least 80% of what you taste in the glass is what originates in the vineyard. To achieve our goal of crafting premium wines, requires managing our vineyard with a relentless focus on quality and an unending respect for nature. We devote enormous time treating each vine as an individual and know that our intensive pruning practices will yield outstanding fruit which in turn will evolve into outstanding wines.
Our Philosophy:
Our philosophy is that to grow the most flavorful grapes requires that we remain in balance with nature. To help achieve this we maintain a glyphosate-free vineyard. Glyphosate is a general use herbicide and is designed to kill vegetation. It is frequently used in vineyards to eliminate the need for mowing and trimming around the vines. One of the primary reasons we won't spray it is that we are convinced cultivating a beneficial cover crop under the vines moderates soil temperatures and produces more flavorful grapes.
We also remain unconcerned about the amount of grape that our vineyard produces in that we will routinely "drop fruit" or reduce our yields in our unending quest to develop grapes that express the area's terroir. For us, it is all about quality not quantity.
Naming the vineyard is something that we agonized over for several years. We considered many options but nothing seemed quite right. A good friend recommended the name Mazzaroth but we were puzzled as we had never heard the expression before. Our friend explained that it originated in the Book of Job. Its literal meaning is the "star array", but could be translated as a set of constellations or perhaps the zodiac. We loved the mysterious biblical and astronomical references and, as luck would have it, the name was still available.
In a larger context, Mazzaroth means more than just a group of stars. Its reference implies that humans can't control or change the forces of nature. For a vineyard, you'll achieve harmony if you, the sun, the soil, the rain, and the vines all work together.
