Frank Leeds in Napa Valley dry-farmed 250 acres of wine grapes for 25 years without irrigation; each Napa acre saved as much as 16,000 gallons of water

In California’s Napa Valley, where summer drought and water scarcity have long shaped the way vineyards are managed, one grower chose to work with the land rather than depend on irrigation. Frank Leeds spent decades cultivating wine grapes using a traditional dry-farming approach, allowing winter rain to replenish the soil and encouraging vines to reach deeper for moisture.