DrinkTheEarth.com Blog

(ABOVE) The gravity flow winemaking process in use at Moshin Vineyards, Healdsburg, California

While it’s important to draw a distinction between wines that are made organically from those that aren’t, it is equally important to recognize sustainability methods that fall outside the actual process of growing grapes.  One such technique that increases the energy-efficiency of the winemaking process, and perhaps the flavor of the wine itself, is gravity flow winemaking.  Gravity flow involves the grapes starting at a certain height and working their way down through the wine production process, rather than be put through the stress of pumping or pushing.   First popularized in Europe over the course of many centuries, it is especially relevant to making wine from very delicate grapes such as Pinot Noir, which thrives in France’s famed Burgundy region, as well as in many parts of California and Oregon.  It has only recently begun to make a comeback here in the U.S., in part because of the upfront expenses involved.

One U.S. winery that is using gravity flow to make wine that we’ve visited is Healdsburg, California’s Moshin Vineyards.  While not organic, the winery believes in following sustainability practices and optimizing energy efficiency, as also evidenced by their use of solar power on the winery grounds.  Owner and winemaker Rick Moshin counts George Davis, of biodynamic producer Porter Creek Vineyards, as one of his mentors.  Moshin utilizes a four-tier gravity flow process in which the grapes are sorted and de-stemmed on a crush pad, before dropping below into fermentation tanks.  Pressed wine then drains from the fermentation tanks into barrels for aging in the cellar, before eventually making its way to the fourth and final stage, the bottling level. 

During our November, 2008 visit to Sonoma County we briefly met Rick in the Moshin Vineyards tasting room, who on Thanksgiving Day was busy happily greeting visitors and signing bottles for patrons (including a bottle of the 2006 Molinari Vineyard Pinot Noir for us).  If you’re in the Healdsburg area and curious to see a modern-day gravity flow process in action, we highly recommend a stop here.