Italy's Top Organic Producers Pour at Slow Wine USA Tour in San Francisco

Slow Wine's USA Tour featured dozens of top flight Italian and U.S. producers. (I wrote about the organic American producers who poured at the San Francisco event here a few days ago.) 

Here are five of the stellar, organic Italian wineries I was able to taste with at the event. 

The Piedmontese producers had the highest rate of participation in the five city tour (which is funded by EU marketing budgets). 

IMPORTER AND DISTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Slow Wine has just published a list of the importers and distributors for the Italian and U.S. brands who participated as well as the list of wineries looking for importers. Get that list here. 

Some of these producers are organic.

ATTENDEES

San Francisco and New York had the most attendees from trade and media. 

Attendees: 

New York: 459

San Francisco: 445

Miami: 236

Seattle: 214

Dallas: 153

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TASTING NOTES

I wasn't able to take down tasting notes in order to get through these major producers (time limitations), but overall, I found the quality to price ratio on these terroir driven wines extremely appealing , as compared to comparable quality from U.S. producers. 

A side note: 18 percent of Italian vineyard acreage is certified organic. That is compared to about 4 percent in the U.S. (though regions like Napa have about 11 percent certified organic acreage). 

LANGHE 

Elvio Cogno

A classic Barolo producer in the Langhe. Elvio Cogno regularly also places in the Wine & Spirits Top 100 and is often present at that SF tasting. In the Slow Wine tour, Elvio Cogno poured in both San Francisco and Miami. The winery has converted to organic practices and is in the three year transition period required for organic certification. 

• Tech sheet for the Ravera

Daniele Conterno 

Today run by Daniele, the fourth generation of the family's vintners, the family run estate decided to become organic in 2005 and became certified in 2015.

PIEDMONT AND LANGHE

G. D. Vajra

The first estate to farm organically in the region, in 1971, the Vajra family today continues that tradition with certified organic vines. In addition to Barolo, it produces Riesling and Barbera and recently also started to make a Langhe Nebbiolo. The winery also makes two wines from heirloom varieties including Dolcetto and the lesser known (and rarely grown) Freisa.

Good background reading on Vajra: https://grapecollective.com/articles/giuseppe-vaira-of-gd-vajra-championing-an-organic-spirit-in-barolo

It poured its highest altitude Barolo - Bricco Delle Viole (DOCG) - along with its celebrated Baudana (50 year old vines from a tiny, historic vineyard at high elevation) and the Freisa Kye (DOC).

TUSCANY

Felsina

Felsina completed organic certification in 2000, among the first in Tuscany, and is a powerhouse producer in the southeast edge of Chianti Classico. The single vineyard The Rancia Reserva (DOCG) comes from a small vineyard of only 6 hectares. The Fontalloro is IGT, as it comes from vineyards in two areas: Chianti Classico and the Chianti Colli Senesi, which lie at different elevations.

Good background reading comes from my colleague and friend Monty Waldin: https://chateaumonty.com/felsina/

LOACKER TENUTE

Another organic pioneer, the family certified its first estate organic in 2004 and, as a biodynamic producer, is a member of the Renaissance des Appellations. It has three estates including this one in Maremma, near the sea in Tuscany. 

The wines are truly affordable, but I was unable to find them for sale online in the US. I have contacted their export manager for more details.

(Slow Wine includes both organic and non-organic wineries, but the ones featured here are organic since this blog is about organically grown wines from certified vineyards.)

Oregon Wine Board Founders Award for Dr Robert Gross; Second Major Award Win for a Biodynamic Producer in Oregon

So happy to see Bob Gross getting his due with the announcement this week that he has received Oregon's highest award. Well deserved.

See the announcement here: https://www.coopermountainwine.com/oregon-wine-board-founders-award-robert-gross/

And don't think of this as simply history! The winery's wines are still among the best and more affordably priced in the U.S. I started collecting wine in 2010 with several cases of their Pinot and their LIFE Pinot (no added sulfites) still ranks among my favorites on the basis of flavor alone. And the LIFE Pinot is only $40. [Absolutely compares to wines that cost two to three to four times more.] 

Congrats to the Gross family on maintaining vineyard and wine quality for so many decades. And for expanding their vineyard holdings with their newly acquired Arborbrook. May it continue.

NOTE

In 2019, Rudy Marchesi of Montinore Estate was voted Wine Person of the Year by the Oregon Wine Press. Kudos to Oregonians for recognizing these industry leaders.

Slow Wine USA Tour: Better Together - American and Italian Wineries Pour at SF Tasting

After spending three days in Bologna at the Slow Wine Fair (with 600 Italian wineries and 100 international ones) in Italy, it was a huge pleasure to taste both American and Italian wines last Monday in the spacious Metreon in San Francisco. 

Here are a few of the U.S. wineries who poured at the event. All of these photos feature certified organic estate producers who wereawarded Slow Wine's top award–the Snail.

PANTHER RIDGE VINEYARDS

Winery rep Mel Wong pours the Panther Ridge Pinot Noir (Petaluma Gap AVA) for Davit Evans of Foreign Cinema. 

DONUM ESTATE

Dan Fishman and Tony Chapman from Donum showed off the wide spectrum of their Pinot Noir ranging from their 91 acre Carneros estate to their Russian River site.

TROON

Southern Oregon's organic and biodynamic certified Troon presented a lovely sampling of their delicious, drink now wines.

OVIS and SHANNON FAMILY OF WINES

Winemaker Jeronimo DaValle from newly certified Lake County organic powerhouse, Shannon Family, poured its top Ovis wines, including an impressive Nero d'Avola.

 

ADAMVS

From Napa's Howell Mountain, the estate's newly hired viticulturist Giuseppe Tumbarello (formerly with Hamel Family) and general manager and winemaker Alberto Bianchi (formerly the winemaker at Newton) are refining Adamvs' estate and making only estate wines from this certified biodynamic site. 

San Francisco was just the first stop on Slow Wine USA's five city tour which went on to feature tastings in Seattle, Dallas, Miami, and New York. 

I'll post a few highlights of the certified organic Italian producers who I also tasted from.

Get Your Ticket: April Phil’s Day Seminars and Luncheon to Honor Sonoma’s Rossi Ranch Vineyard

The Coturris and Otellini's saved one of Sonoma's great historic vineyard treasures - and now more than 10 vintners share the fruits of their labors - become wine. 

It's so cool that this asset (organic, of course) is getting its "Oscar" moment. Join us!

Legendary Sonoma Viticulturist Phil Coturri joins with other vintners to celebrate the iconic Rossi Ranch Vineyard with Seminars and Wine Tasting at April Phil’s Day, April 1, 2023 at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn

March 6, 2023 (Sonoma, CA) — Enterprise Vineyards and Winery Sixteen600 are pleased to announce the inaugural “April Phil’s Day” to be held at the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn. Honoring legendary Sonoma County vineyard manager Phil Coturri, this year’s event will focus on longtime work at Rossi Ranch, a certified organic Sonoma Valley vineyard that provides grapes to some of California’s most storied wineries. 

“The grapes grown in Rossi are used in some of the most desirable and collectible wines being made in Northern California today,” Coturri noted. “The site was originally planted in 1910, and over the past 15 years Phil’s focus on certified organic farming practices have ensured that the vineyard will remain significant and relevant to the state’s wine industry.”

All events will take place on April 1st, 2023, at the Sonoma Mission Inn, 100 Boyes Blvd, Sonoma, CA 95476.

MJ Towler and Sam Coturri will lead two tasting seminars, the first focusing on Rossi Ranch white wines and the second focusing on Grenache, Syrah and other Rossi Ranch red wines. Lunch by Executive Chef Jared Reeves of the Fairmont will be accompanied by rosé wines made from Rossi Ranch and other Enterprise Vineyards farmed sites.

The winemakers and wineries participating represent an incredible mix of luminaries and industry veterans including Alejandro Zimman of Winery Sixteen 600 and Stone Edge Farm, Rosemary Cakebread of Gallica Wine, Tony Biagi presenting Mabon Wines, Danielle Langlois of Jambe de Bois and Lasseter Family Wines, Artie Johnson of Le Artishasic, Katie Bundschu from Abbot’s Passage, Scott MacFiggen of Sosie Wines, Bart Hansen of Dane Cellars, Michel Berthoud from Mayo Family Winery, and more.

Friend of the winery and star of stage and screen Jamie Kaler will emcee the day’s festivities. Special guests include Rossi Ranch’s Sandy Otellini and Chris Majerchek, Robert Kamen, winemaker emeritus Jeff Baker and MJ Towler, THE Black Wine Guy.

The cost to attend the day’s activities is $225 for general admission, and $175 for members of Winery Sixteen 600s “Phil Sent Me” wine club. There are also ten $100 scholarship seats available via application to qualified members of the trade. Attendance is limited to 100 participants. 

For tickets and further information, contact the Winery Sixteen600 Tasting House at 707.721.1805 or purchase online at Eventbrite: https://bit.ly/3xNQdDu

Phil Coturri is a legendary viticulturalist and one of California’s pioneering organic farmers. For over 40 years he has shunned fertilizer and synthetic herbicide in favor of cover crops, integrated pest management, and paying careful attention to each grapevine’s individual needs. With almost 1000 acres of prime vineyard land under his management, Coturri’s farming practices are extremely influential throughout the state’s north coast. He manages vineyards such as Kamen, Lasseter, Rossi Ranch, Laurel Glen, Oakville Ranch, and 30 other sites at the top level of the wine industry. Harkening back to his Italian heritage, Coturri also produces olive oil from trees on his Moon Mountain relating back to his musical discernment and longtime relationship with the members of the Grateful Dead, he consults on a wide range of agricultural interests. 

Enterprise Vineyards is a vineyard management company based in Sonoma that handles farming for 30+ of Napa and Sonoma Counties’ most desired vineyards. Farming organically, their team is known for increasing the quality of the fruit while increasing the health of the vines. Their focus is on biodiversity in the vineyard, empowering the participation of their workers, and leaving a minimal environmental footprint on the planet, all while growing some of the finest grapes in the state. https://enterprisevineyards.com/

Winery Sixteen600 is owned by Phi Coturri and his sons Max and Sam Coturri. Sourcing grapes from a large number of the vineyards farmed by Enterprise, they emphasize wine made from the Rhône grape varieties. The winery’s tasting house is located off the square in downtown Sonoma and features two stereo systems (with turntables, of course) and a collection of art by Stanley Mouse, longtime Grateful Dead cover artist (and designer of the Winery Sixteen600 labels). https://winerysixteen600.com/