Bridlewood Winery

Retrofits and Additions Combine Rich Tastes of the Old and New

Nestled amidst rolling hills in the Santa Ynez valley, Bridlewood Winery lies in the heart of some of California’s richest wine country on the former site of a thoroughbred horse ranch. Here, the new winery continues a tradition of excellence, combining on the picturesque site the rich flavors of both the old and new. The promotion of award-winning wines relies on the quality of an updated Rain Bird irrigation system to present the winery to the public.

Converting this working thoroughbred ranch into one of Santa Ynez’s finest wineries required creativity and extensive modification of the existing irrigation system.

A Rich Tradition Retained

The 110-acre thoroughbred horse ranch property offered amenities such as a great view of the Santa Ynez valley and a beautiful park-like setting with lakes, waterfalls, horse track and more, explained Sam W. Maphis ASLA of Earthform Design, the landscape architect who designed the irrigation and new landscaping.

In transforming hillsides, large paddock and corral areas into refined landscape areas, the winery worked to retain the property’s original architectural charm. Structures such as the 28,000 square-foot barn kept their Spanish mission-style exteriors, while new patios, hardscapes and gardens were designed to enhance the style and create outdoor spaces to draw the public to the tasting room and other outdoor landscape attractions.

“The aesthetics of the winery went through a makeover to become more of a presentation for the public to enjoy the ambiance of the property,” said Maphis. A croquet court, large rose garden (650-roses) and sculpture garden further enhances the site’s unique character. The winery was designed to invite visitors to enjoy the wine, relax, even picnic and savor the landscape, according to winery officials.

Keeping Pace with the Old and New

The irrigation system, like the rest of the site, retains much of what worked, with modifications made where necessary.

For Maphis, retrofitting a system such as that used for the horse ranch for use at Bridlewood Winery is becoming more common as old facilities are being modified for different owners and different uses, he explained. “We begin by determining what we can pull from and how we can modify the system or attach to it.” Maphis started with the
as-built drawings done in the ‘70s. “The system was originally designed when the technology was much different,” he said. “We had to modernize it so maintenance could become efficient again.”

Of course, new landscaping, parking, lawn, shrub and planting areas all required additional, new irrigation equipment as well as modifications to the existing system design. Retrofitting the system required rebuilding numerous existing brass dirty-water valves attached to the 4-inch main line in former pasture areas. Harsh well water had corroded the valve internals over the many years, explained Steve Morris, irrigation supervisor for Nydam Landscape Construction. Morris rebuilt new valve bodies, replacing the solenoids, plungers and diaphragms. “We changed a total of 60 or 70 valves,” said Morris.

Rain Bird’s EFB-CP Series valves in 2-, 1 1/2- and 1-inch sizes were used. The EFB-CP is a powerful brass dirty-water valve with a contamination-proof self-flushing screen to clean itself and resist debris build-up.
The well water also provided some constraints in the system design, according to Maphis. He had to ensure better flow with accommodations such as larger nozzles.

Taking the Reins with New Controllers

The team also replaced old mechanical clocks with seven new Rain Bird ESP-MC commercial-duty controllers, all operated by a remote control. ESP controllers offer the power of advanced water management in an easy-to-use package with flexible programming options.

“The remote was a great way to go because the property was so big,” explained Maphis. ESP controllers are hardwired to the valves and centralized to the remote. “Maintenance people can stand at the main winery and operate both the lower and upper clocks, which was a big bonus for everybody.”

A Full Stable of Irrigation Solutions

In addition to retrofitting controllers and valves, Maphis specified Rain Bird 1800 Series™ spray heads in 4-inch models for lawn areas and 12-inch for shrubs. The croquet court, main sculpture garden, and rose garden each used different heads for unique watering needs. A small amount of drip using Xeri-Bug (XB series) emitters was used. T-Bird T-40 rotors, as well as Falcon® rotors, were also specified for larger turf areas.

Rain Bird equipment was suited to the site for many reasons - from the valves and clocks to centralizing the system, according to Maphis. “The heads offered just the right throw for the system which was designed for head-to-head coverage,” he said.

With the mission-style building exteriors, complemented with flagstone paving, crape myrtles, redwoods and other beautiful trees and gardens, Bridlewood Winery recently won the “best winery” award from the Santa Ynez Valley Real Estate Company as the most beautiful winery in Santa Ynez, explained Randy Pace, Bridlewood’s General Manager.

“It’s an amazingly beautiful place,” said Maphis. “We enjoyed the processes of a conversion from a working thoroughbred ranch to one of the finest wineries in the Santa Ynez valley.”

From its tasting room to the beautiful outdoor scenery and behind-the-scenes Rain Bird system, the winery truly offers visitors a rich, fine taste of the old and the new.