The Mendocino Voice ·
A Hopland grower keeps his vines alive while the vineyards around him go wild
Steve Amato is still out working his 38 acres of cabernet off Feliz Creek Road. He prunes. He sprays. He suckers the vines. He mows the grass between the rows so a stray spark has nothing to run on, and when the cold comes the frost sprinklers still kick on. The diesel for his tractors runs him close to $8 a gallon.