Spending the Day at Frog’s Leap with John Williams
John Williams was kind enough to meet photographer Stephen Smith and myself to spend the day sharing and showing us the Frog’s Leap story.
The three of us met first thing in the morning to walk the vineyard and winery in the heart of the Rutherford Bench, then drove north through Napa Valley to see Frog’s Leaps other estate vineyards. Frog’s Leap is known for its Bordeaux varietal wines – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc – and Chardonnay and also makes a succulent, fresh Zinfandel inspired by California’s old field blend style. At the vineyard near his home, Frog’s Leap recently planted an experimental block testing to see what new varieties respond well to the specific conditions of Rutherford. In a different block of the same site they also farms a collection of mixed-black old vines that go into the Frog’s Leap Heritage blend.
Frog’s Leap doesn’t just grow vineyards though. John has brought his focus to sustainability in farming practices such as dry farming while also focusing on sustainability of overall estate management. To preserve the economic health of the Frog’s Leap team, the winery established year round food gardens that are used on-site for winery meals and by winery employees. The gardens are also maintained by the winery and vineyard staff so that in the months when vines need less tending the garden keeps them busy and employed.
John’s inspiration for California’s old style can also be found in his restoration of the historic winery building from the 1880s that serves as part of the structure for his own contemporary winery, as well as his love for old trucks and cars.
We drove up the valley together in his 1969 Chevy. It was the fulfillment of a dream I’d had to cruise Napa Valley backroads in John’s iconic pick-up truck. That truck is an important part of Napa Valley history, full of Frog’s Leap stories. Incredibly, the three of us had so much fun that the day culminated finally in this…
Over the course of the day, while I interviewed John, Stephen documented our time together in photographs. He’s been generous enough to let me share his photos from the day here. I love the way they tell the story on their own.
Visiting Frog’s Leap in Photographs by Stephen Smith
Thank you to John for the great day and to Stephen for the fantastic photos.
Check out more of Smith’s photography at his own site: http://www.iamstephensmith.com/ and follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamstephensmith/. I really enjoy following his photographic travelogs online.
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Love these photos, John and Frog’s Leap. As a firm believer in dry farming John has a special place in our hearts. He was one of the first people in the valley to understand the importance of water as a resource. He is everything “right” about Napa agriculture: sustainable, practical and a sense of humor
I am so proud to be a small part of John’s Frog’s Leap Family ! Restrained alcohol levels, dry farming – the way it used to be in Napa, custodian of the earth, hospitality second to none & a love of baseball – a Team sport & John has a great team @ Frog’s !!!! Now that is a Great Guy !!!
[…] A Day with John Williams at Frog's Leap in Photographs by Stephen Smith Elaine Brown rolls in the dirt with John Williams […]
[…] A Day with John Williams at Frog’s Leap in Photographs by Stephen Smith Elaine Brown rolls in the dirt with John Williams […]
[…] A Day with John Williams at Frog’s Leap in Photographs by Stephen Smith Elaine Brown rolls in the dirt with John Williams […]