DrinkTheEarth.com Blog

If my recent wine tasting trip is any indication, biodynamic winemaking is alive and well in the historic wine growing regions of Sonoma County and the Napa Valley.  As of November, 2008, there are at least six Demeter-certified biodynamic wineries in either Sonoma or Napa counties; Benziger Family Winery, Grgich Hills Estate, Puma Springs Vineyards, Quivira Vineyards, Porter Creek Vineyards, and Robert Sinskey.  During our trip we spoke to several others who may also be pursuing biodynamic certification, including Truett-Hurst, which is run in conjunction with Paul Dolan, a longtime California winegrower and author of True To Our Roots: Fermenting a Business Revolution, a 2003 book advocating organic farming practices. 

Quivira, Puma Springs, Porter Creek, and Truett-Hurst, along with CCOF-certified organic winemakers Michel-Schlumberger and Preston Vineyards, all hail from the Dry Creek Valley, a relatively small appellation that comprises approximately 9,000 of Sonoma County’s 60,000 acres of vineyards.  This collection of wineries form an up-and-coming hub of organic and biodynamic winemaking that serves as a nice complement to Sonoma’s biodynamic counterparts in Napa, such as Sinskey, Grgich Hills and Benziger. 

As one of the true pioneers of the grape responsible for putting California wine on the map, Mike Grgich of Grgich Hills is known throughout the valley, often wearing his signature beret.  As we stopped in mid-day to sample wines from his Rutherford tasting room, Sinskey himself appeared briefly from the back room, where we were told a VIP tour had wrapped up just minutes earlier.  While there, we were given an excellent overview of Grgich’s wines by Hank, who intertwined stories about Grgich, a longtime friend of fellow wine pioneer Robert Mondavi, with food pairings for many of the wines we tasted.  After fielding several of our questions his eyes lit up as I asked the differences between aging biodynamic wines, which contain no sulfites, versus ones that do.  After joking that sulfite-free wines will not give you nearly the hangover of their sulfite-ridden counterparts (a claim that has many other believers, if a recent Google search is any clue), he suggested that biodynamic wines are like a living organism, and will frequently change complexion over time.  He referenced Grgich’s Merlot, of which some tasting room visitors have reported taking on certain properties of a fine Cabernet upon aging. 

Starting our own tasting experience, we began with a wonderfully crisp Fume Blanc, which Hank assured us was a terrific seafood pairing, adding, “anything you can serve with a lemon, this wine will work.”  We then tried a nice ‘06 Chardonnay that even my wife, who typically dislikes Napa-made Chardonnay (usually too much oak), especially enjoyed.  After moving into the Reds, we tried a Zinfandel much smoother than its 14.9% alcohol might suggest, and the aforementioned Merlot.  We ended on an actual Cabernet, then promptly left with a bottle each of the 2006 Grgich Napa Valley Chardonnay, and the 2006 Grgich Napa Valley Zinfandel, both of which are certified biodynamic.

Moving along on our trip, we visited Healdsburg-based Quivira, another biodynamic producer whom we had visited on our wine trip a year earlier.  Amongst the items for sale in their solar-powered tasting room were organic cotton t-shirts, estate olive oils, and natural fig jams (the latter made from the signature tree of their Fig Tree Vineyard).  Our tasting experience was led by Rod, Quivira’s Hospitality Manager, who eagerly shared with us details of Quivira’s farming efforts upon learning about DrinkTheEarth (he also issued to us our first challenge – to research where Rudolf Steiner himself learned the biodynamic farming techniques he first espoused in the early 1900’s). 

Highlights of our 2^nd-ever Quivira tasting room visit included sampling a nice, dry Rose, a relatively low-production wine with only 446 cases produced, along with another lower-production wine, their Petit Syrah, which Rod explained can be aged for up to 20 years.  We were also told about their Steelhead Wines, named in honor of the wild trout that return to Wine Creek on the Quivira property each Spring.  Supporting Trout Unlimited, a donation is made for every bottle sold.  Before leaving the tasting room we bought a bottle of the 2007 Quivira Grenache Rose, and later followed Rod’s advice and picked up a bottle of the 2006 Steelhead Zinfandel from the Safeway in Santa Rosa (it is also available in various Vons locations).

NEXT UP: Part II, detailing our tasting room experiences at Robert Sinskey, and Porter Creek Vineyards.

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As I type this, I am winding down from Day 3 of my Sonoma/Napa Valley wine trip.  Many more stories to come, but some great insights to share from visits to organic and biodynamic producers such as Truett-Hurst (a Dry Creek newcomer), Michel-Schlumberger, Quivira, Frog’s Leap, and Grgich Hills.

Some of the highlights thus far would have to include seeing all of the new, biodynamically farmed vines at Truett-Hurst, some fantastic local cheese pairings at Michel-Schlumsberger, a great overall lineup of wines at Quivira supplemented with some great organic products (ranging from fig jellies, to organic shirts), a Mike Grgich sighting in his tasting room, and lastly, an impromptu free throw shooting contest to cap off a tour of the grounds at Frog’s Leap (we’ll explain later).

One thing that has struck me during this visit – having been to this area just 13 months ago, there clearly seems to be more ‘buzz’ about organic winemaking than there was even a year ago.  And having visited some wineries for the second time (like Quivira), the wines we tasted this time around seemed even more impressive.  More to follow.

Friday’s San Francisco Chronicle has a great article on the state of organic and biodynamic winemaking.  They cover most of the current issues of the day in the industry, including reasons for and against promoting ‘green’ practices on the wine label, the differences between true organic & biodynamic wine and those that are simply made following sustainable guidelines, and the aging perceptions about wine made without sulfites. 

The article also focuses on Bonny Doon Vineyard, which has downsized to about 1/12th of its size by selling off larger labels, focusing instead on eventually being a 100% biodynamic wine producer.  Now that’s a commitment to the environment!

Definitely worth a read.

Newberg, Oregon-based Beaux Freres has announced its 2007 pre-release Pinot Noir offerings to active buyers.  While not currently certified organic or biodynamic, this Willamette Valley winery began experimenting with nonconventional farming methods about six years ago, and today their entire property is farmed using biodynamic principles.

2007 pre-releases include three wines; 2007 Beaux Freres Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2007 Beaux Freres Upper Terrace Pinot Noir, and the 2007 Beaux Freres Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.  For those that love a good Oregon pinot (and who doesn’t), Beaux Freres reports that their 2007 vintages were harvested under similar conditions to 1995 and 1996, which were also very rainy around harvest time.  The result is a collection of dark ruby red wines that could age gracefully for as long as 15 years (the Willamette Valley Pinot may be closer to a maximum of 7 years, ideally).  Sounds like any of the trio might make a great match for a tasty Salmon steak in a few years.

I’m trying to squeeze a visit or two to a couple of organic spirits makers during my trip to California wine country this month.  Very few seem to be open to the public, which is a shame.  When I have visited organic wineries in the past they have used the on-site experience to really educate consumers on what organic wine is, the certifications involved, and what separates the wines from their non-organic brethren.  I think organic spirits have an even more difficult time with education and awareness because most people understand even less about the distillery process than they do about how wine is made, which probably has at least something to do with the fact growing grapes is considered far sexier than growing rye.

Of course, than dangers (and liability) of consumers taste-testing hard alcohol before getting back on the road is what makes it not an equal experience to tasting wine, but that hasn’t stopped the big distillers (like Maker’s Mark in Loretto, KY) from offering tours and some kind of on-site experience.  Follow their lead, makers of organic libations!