Goodbye Magnolias, Hello Water Conservation

If you’ve visited Clos du Val over the last 50 years, you’ve been greeted by a colonnade of magnolia trees lining our driveway.  

While the magnolias may have appeared to be right at home on our estate, a closer look by an arborist and a recent water audit showed us that these trees were fighting hard against our relatively dry climate, and as a result, needed large volumes of irrigation to survive. 

As we grapple with the effects of drought and climate change, we are constantly looking for ways to reduce our water usage and overall pressure on the place we call home. Adjusting our landscaping to better fit our climate and available resources is a clear no-brainer. Pretty soon, you’ll be able to see new plantings around our Stags Leap District Estate including cork oak, olive, and other plants that fare well in our climate, naturally.  

This week, as the clearing began, we caught up with Olav Goelet, 3rd generation owner and Head of Winegrowing here at Clos du Val. Stay tuned for more updates as we reimagine our estate with drought-tolerant plants and other improvements focused on the next 50 years (and beyond) of Clos du Val.