Norbert Fiebig, Vineyard Manager, a German native with degrees in both viticulture and enology from Weinsberg School of Viticulture, has come to know the Van Duzer vineyard well over 20 years. "We've learned from our experiments. We now grow seven clonal varieties of Pinot Noir, including Pommard, Wadensville and the new Dijon clones. In essence, our wine is 'made' in the vineyard, a compilation of each grape clone, the particular soil in which it is nourished, and the climate and sun exposure which it experiences."

When the Thoma family purchased the vineyards in 1998, they began a gradual shift to farming practices that assure its ecological viability over time. Fiebig championed the transition. His training in the German school of viticulture and enology shaped his conviction that careful stewardship of the vineyards would preserve the quality of the wines for many generations of grape farmers, just as it has in the Rheingau and other centuries-old wine regions.

In the vineyard, spacing and trellising have been adjusted to maximize sun exposure and to induce moderate stress in the vines. Rigorous cropping restricts yields to 5 to 7 pounds per vine. Vines, on average, are 21 years old.