A taste of what is important in life, both past, present, and future, will continue to be the reward.
Farming is in our DNA. The Kirkpatrick Family has farmed for almost 1,000 years, from the orange groves of Long Beach in the late 1800s, to the watermelon fields of northwest Texas, to the early settlement days in North Carolina, and back to Scotland—the home of the Kirkpatrick Clan in the Dumfriesshire farmlands starting in the 12th century.
So it would seem that Split Rock Vineyards was destined, and, like most good things in life, time spent in the vineyardis both precious and challenging. Nature, patience, tenacity, history, community, beauty, and family. And the trials and tribulations of each and every season and vintage will spark stories to be told around the table, the campfire, the barn party, and the weddings.
Split Rock Ranch – Our Land of Dreams
In 2005, we were lucky enough to find a very special 30-acre property on Lake Nacimiento. Our children named it Split Rock Ranch while throwing stones at the shore and noticing how they broke apart. For us, it was all about fulfilling our childhood memories of summers at the lake for our kids, but in a rural, ranch like setting.
Far from our day-to-day urban environment and professional careers, Split Rock Ranch allows us time to slow down. Board games, long walks, happy hour at Inspiration Point, a roaring fire pit with guitars, lake cruises, big dinners and big parties—it’s all about being together and having a little more time than usual to enjoy each other’s company.
Nature provides the stage where memories are made by friends and family that engage with it and each other. From large groups to solo journeys, the ranch exists to nurture us and our relationships.
Drought, Yellow jackets, Fire, What’s Next?
As the years went by the local wine scene exploded. The combination of driving through the emerging vineyard country and the family DNA were too much and the vineyard dream slowly became a reality at Split Rock.
The planning started for Split Rock Vineyards in 2007. Testing and mapping were followed by grading and fencing, water systems planning and installation, and finally planting in 2010. The first harvest, a field blend, was bottled and served as our beta testing vintage. But they were our grapes and represented the reality of all of the vision and hard work. And despite being plagued with a drought, yellowjackets and a fire over the years, the vineyard matured and every vintage of William Robert Wines adds to the story of Split Rock Ranch.
Each time we sip we will be tasting a year-long marker of man and nature and their constant love/hate and highly dependent relationship. We will be reminded of what is really important. And then, as it is now, the next generation of Fitzpatrick’s will step in to nurture each and every vine at Split Rock Vineyards.
What’s in a Name?
People have asked us why William Robert? The story is short, straightforward, and probably only amusing to a few. But here it is… “It’s a girl!” announced the obstetrician. And with those words, William Robert stopped being the name for our third son and became the moniker for our wine. Cheers!
