Arrendell Vineyard sits in arguably the coldest spot in the Green Valley sub-appellation of the Russian River AVA. The vineyard is sometimes referred to as the "Snow Shoe Vineyard" because, in wet years, the vineyard manager has had to equip his pruning team with snowshoes to get through a small area of muddy rows. Each year, the vineyard struggles to ripen the fewer-than-two-tons-per-acre crop by Halloween. Often, much of Sonoma County's Cabernet Sauvignon (the latest ripening red varietal) is picked before Arrendell Pinot Noir. These adverse conditions create a wine of distinct character.