Wild and Intentional Intertwine at Hudson Ranch

Hudson Ranch and Vineyards is the classic Goldilocks scenario: Everything is just right: the right climate (not too windy, hot or cold); the right creative couple (Lee and Cristina Hudson) and the right dedicated team of 58 employees. More than just an acclaimed winery with 200 acres devoted to nine grape varietals, Hudson is a vibrant, fragrant and productive ranch where vegetables, flowers and creatures receive the same reverence and care as the vines.

Nestled in the rolling Carneros hills, this 2,000-acre estate has thoughtfully set aside nearly three acres for a variety of fruit trees, veggie plots (one acre vegetable garden, two acres employee community garden), olive groves and a profusion of flowers. This equation ensures a healthy balance between keeping things wildly native and a cultivated curation that benefits and supports the family, staff, pollinators, wildlife and the wider ecosystem. This mindful, holistic approach to farming emphasizes diversity, flavor and agricultural artistry and community.

The fresh bounty even extends to their full-service grocery store, Hudson Greens & Goods, at Oxbow Market, where organic fruits and vegetables, pantry staples and fresh juice can be purchased. While Hudson supplies the store with whatever is in abundance (think summer stone fruits, tomatoes and zucchini), Cristina says one of the primary missions of Hudson Greens & Goods is to keep local family farms in business so they can buy from many local producers.

GROWN WITH INTENTION

Lee Hudson oversees the wine grapes plus the stunning dry gardens that he designed near the winery, filled with bold cacti and succulents, but it’s Leo Ureña, production manager and supervisor of the garden, with the indispensable help of Cristina, who tends to the edibles and flowers, working in harmony with the land. Cristina explains, “Harmony comes from observing what’s happening in the field, accepting what we cannot change and embracing the outcome. These factors drive us to grow what we need to live and to cook what delights us.”

According to Cristina, the early motivation for the garden was to grow food for themselves; then, as time passed, they grew some produce for the store. As her interest in flowers increased, so did the number of flowers grown. Once the winery opened, flowers were needed for arrangements in the hospitality spaces. When the garden tour was added to the tasting experience, she and Leo continued to make the garden more spectacular and even open to sampling.

Every flower and vegetable planted, or not planted, is based on Leo and Cristina’s close observations from the previous year. She adds, “Leo and I walk through the garden at least once a week during the peak summer months and discuss what we are loving and what isn’t working, either from a flavor or beauty profile.” They have learned over the years to take photos and copious notes to reference at the end of the season, when the collaborative duo makes most of their decisions. Using an aerial map of the garden, they are exacting about what plant goes where. However, renegade volunteer plants are encouraged and welcomed. Naturally, almost everything here is grown from seed.

As Cristina and Leo continued to add more flowers to the garden, it was a natural progression for them to move away from anything store-bought. “We do a lot of foraging throughout the year and in recent years have been drying flowers, pods, etc. to use throughout the winter months,” Cristina adds. “Flowers are used at my home and winery for the most part, and each week we offer fruits, vegetables and flowers to the staff.” Cristina works with another staff member, Magdalena Escobar, to do all flower arranging for the different spaces. Another favorite of Cristina’s is “big” veggies. “I find humor in really oversized vegetables,” she says, “so we allow a few specimens in the garden to grow to gargantuan size… turnips, beets, cauliflower, leeks… I like putting them on display in the winery.” And speaking of big…

GOURD, SQUASH, PUMPKIN— WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Gourds, squash and pumpkins are all fruits within the Cucurbitaceae family, but they have different uses and characteristics. Gourds are typically grown for their beauty and decoration, and they have hard shells. Pumpkins are a type of winter squash and are used in both decoration and cooking. Squash—both summer and winter varieties—are generally grown for eating and vary in shape and size.

OH. MY. GOURD

A true fall favorite at Hudson are the award-winning and extremely photogenic displays of Cucurbits. Leo Ureña is also a gourd guru and renowned pumpkin grower, winning many prestigious awards and accolades for his skills, such as breaking the California state record in 2019 in Half Moon Bay for the biggest pumpkin, coming in at a whopping 2,175 pounds. Years ago, Lee and Leo dreamed up the idea of “Gourd Alley” where gourds would hang like lanterns from a magical tunnel. Now every year Leo and his team plant just a handful of seeds and then—with some time, attention and skillful pruning and guiding—the vines grow vertically into a sensational seasonal display. Gourds require a very substantial structure to support their heavy vines and fruit, especially when massive varieties, such as Pera Gigante, are chosen. Some gourds, and even squashes, grow so large that they require crafty cradles and support systems. Turns out that the trellis for the comically long gourds has been raised three times (from 8 to 10 to 14 feet) to accommodate the increasing length.

“In the fall, the giant pumpkins will be harvested around the second week in October depending on which competition they are destined for… hopefully all tipping the scales over 2,000 pounds by this time!” Cristina says. Hudson also grows a wide range of winter squash that will be stored and used throughout the year, and the gourds are dried and turned into planters and bird houses or sold to decorators for display.

HISTORY IN THE LAND

Hudson Ranch is located on historical Chumash Native American lands, and many artifacts have been discovered, offering glimpses into its rich paleontological and archaeological history. Most notably, a cluster of petrified scallop shells, estimated to be 10–15 million years old, was uncovered deep in the volcanic soil of the Seashell Vineyard—Hudson’s most prized vineyard yielding some its most highly rated wines. This find, plus other artifacts and nature treasures uncovered on the ranch, are displayed in the hospitality building. Visitors will also see a collection of Chumash grinding stones once used for processing food, particularly acorns, into flour, plus delicate bird nests, fossils and the skulls of small animals, all honoring the ever-growing connection to the past.

FALL FAVORITES

Hudson’s prolific summer garden lingers on into late October and visitors can expect to see a floral plant painting filled with a wide variety of marigolds, from large fluffy types to teeny tiny dark burnt orange and yellow ones. All the marigolds are symbolically used in Hudson’s Day of the Dead altar. Visitors will also view towering Mexican sunflowers, end-of-the-season dahlias, straw flowers in a rainbow of colors, decorative amaranth and masses of zinnias.

Cristina adds, “We’ll continue to harvest lemon verbena to dry for tea infusions and to put in our house-made sachets, which we sell in our gift boxes or at the store.” Regarding edibles, pomegranate trees will still have ripe fruit on the branch, persimmons will be ushering in and apples (these will be made into fresh cider) and pears near their harvest dates. Like it hot? Hudson also has a large array of chiles that will continue producing into winter.

Hudson Ranch and Vineyards offers tastings, garden tours, scenic hikes and areas to picnic among the flowers and vines. HudsonRanch.com