Tankhouses are as romantic a vineyard visage as the rows of grapes themselves. There’s a whimsical charm surrounding the old vineyard tankhouses with their angled walls. Long before piped irrigation, farmers pumped water from shallow wells using a windmill powered pump that would force the water up into an elevated tank. Gravity would then provide the water pressure necessary to irrigate the fields.The open space under the tank tower was often enclosed to provide either shelter for animals, as a tool-shed or even a spare room. When piped water became available, the tankhouses were no longer needed. Although many of these have been torn down, enough tankhouses still dot the landscape to maintain the flavor and magic of our wine growing past. - JC