NYWD Ag Customer Profile: Gideon Beinstock, Co-Owner for Clos Saron
We are excited to share our first in a series of North Yuba Water District customer profiles that will highlight a selection farmers and agriculture producers in NYWD’s 188 square mile rural service area, which includes Dobbins and Oregon House.
First in our series is Gideon Beinstock and Saron Rice co-owners of Clos Saron, a vineyard located in Oregon House.
Clos Saron History
Beinstock started growing grapes in the1990s when he and Rice cared for a small vineyard in 1995. When a few years later, the owners decided to sell part of their property, the pair leapt at the opportunity and launched their business – Clos Saron. Clos Saron was born in 1999 out of their love for wine, the outdoors and wish to do something productive in their lives.
“Farming and living close to nature may be challenging in many ways, but equally life giving and inspiring,” Beinstock shared.
The pair began their journey with half an acre of grapes which eventually expanded to 6 acres after purchasing a nearby property and leasing land from a neighbor. Half of the grapes they grow are the varietal Pinot Noir, and the other half a mix of 12 different varieties.
Water Needs & Challenges
Managing and farming the vineyard has not been without its challenges. Beinstock learned early on new vines planted in this region needed intense watering for the first few years. Because of the intense heat experienced in our region, the soil didn’t hold moisture very and the new vines need to be watered daily.
As the vineyard matured, the need for frequent watering lessened, but Beinstock found that mature vines with root systems very deep in the ground still required some watering. Dry farming was not possible, but it was possible to reduce watering to every 7 to 9 days with deep irrigation to feed the root system. For many years, the vineyard suffered with the difficult climate, periods of drought and the challenge of getting reliable, sufficient irrigation water.
This year, access to reliable irrigation water made a significant difference for Clos Saron. Beinstock shared there was more moisture in the ground when the season began, and the vines look happier and healthier than they’ve been in the last 12 years.
“Now with ditch water, it saves us the loss of vines. Losing vines is very costly and you can’t get back the time and physical labor it takes to take care of vines,” he said.
For Beinstock and Rice, the vineyard is their livelihood and without irrigation water, their vineyard and business would perish.
Sustainability and Conservation
Water is vital to farming and operating Clos Saron. Beinstock says they are doing everything they can to conserve water and practice sustainability.
They rely on drip irrigation, the most water-conscious way to water in agriculture. They water efficiently and conserve as much water as they can. They also space out irrigation as much as they can without jeopardizing their vines.
Additionally, they are strongly considering the idea of sinking water into their land by using trenches, mini pools and mini ponds. These will help create an ecosystem that conserves more water.
For Beinstock, conserving water is second nature. He grew up in Israel and remembers hearing radio ads say, “don’t waste a drop of water” so the concept is firm in his head and something he is very conscious of today.
Community and Economic Impact
The growth of micro-size vineyards in the area can be attributed to activities at Clos Saron. In 2010, Clos Saron started accepting interns who were interested in learning how they farm and make their wines. Since then, dozens of new wineries have opened – some locally and some who moved to the Bay Area – but are directly connected to the internship experience at Clos Saron.
“There is a real buzz happening here in the world of farming grapes and making wine. This came directly and indirectly out of our own existence,” said Beinstock. “We are making agriculture happen in North Yuba.”
Another effect Clos Saron has on the local economy is that they’ve been a stable business in the area for 25 years. They’ve been in North Yuba through the big recession and patron many local businesses. During harvest time, they patronize the local restaurants – bringing their crew out to eat there.
Although Clos Saron is a small operation and their wines are mostly sold far away from North Yuba – their wines can be found in high quality restaurants in Paris, London, Montreal and more! – they are visible, and people know about them. Beinstock shared that their positive reputation brings people to North Yuba, to visit the winery, which leads them to stay in Airbnb’s, eat at the local restaurants and support their small business community.
Future Outlook
Lastly, we asked Beinstock about his future hopes or plans for the vineyard. The scale of the vineyard is maxed out space wise, but he hopes to eventually add more orchards. He would love to add orchards in between blocks of his vineyard. Blessed with reliable water and a good climate, this is hopefully something he can accomplish soon.
He also wants to keep developing micro-pools and ponds on his farm. These are great for water storage during dry periods for irrigation, improve soil health, create a wildlife habitat and contribute to being more sustainable.
With help from NYWD, he’s hopeful the availability and accessibility of water can expand to everyone in the community who needs it. He believes this would encourage growth in agriculture in the area.
Beinstock would like to leave our readers with this, “If we collaborate, work together, we can go a lot further than individuals. Let’s listen and work together to see what degree your own interests match and correlate with others’ interests. Water is the base of it. If I turn my property into a garden, it impacts all my neighbors’ properties as well. If we all turn our properties into gardens, we’ll live in a paradise.”