It's a massive tasting with 50 top wineries in Napa showcasing current releases, library wines and exceptional snacks.
Sunday, May 18, 2025, 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Hosted in Martini Park at Louis M Martini Winery, Saint Helena
NOTE: I've added * for wineries with at least one wine from certified organic vines and ** if all of the wineries' wines are from certified organic grapes.
Moon Mountain District is an utterly unique part of Sonoma County and not the first that comes to mind when you say "Sonoma." It's special - part of the Mayacamas mountains.
And yet, while Cabernet here is king, Moon Mountain District has plantings of diverse grape varieties, thanks to its varied microclimates. Its Syrah, Grenache and other Rhones are outstanding. Its different exposures also grow–surprisingly–Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Malbec and refined Zinfandels are also found here, thanks to its growers and vintners.
Many came here for mountain grown Cab, grown organically, who were attracted by working with pioneering organic vineyard manager Phil Coturri, who started his farming career on the historic Monte Rosso (the site of last year's extravanaganza event, featuring both current and ten year old wines, led by Antonio Galloni).
Headliners leading the masterclass include organic and biodynamic pioneer Rodrigo Soto, formerly of Quintessa, now of his own label, Far Mountain, and Brenna Quigley, mapmaker and geologist extraordinaire.
SUNDAY MORNING | SEATED MASTERCLASS | $400 per person*
*15% Early Bird Savings with code EARLYBIRD15 makes it $340 per person
It's starting to be a busy season as many wine events kick off this month and next.
Here's one I meant to give a headsup about earlier, but it slipped by me...until NOW.
I attended the first one of these which was held last year and it was exciting and engaging to have space to talk about things women do not always bring up in regular wine industry events. Last year I was lucky enough to write about the event for WineBusiness.com and you can read the article here.
The 3rd annual Natural Coast Wine Festival takes place this weekend from 12pm-5pm on Saturday, April 26th, 2025.
Superstars at the event include Amevive (Los Olives District AVA) and Lady of the Sunshine (SLO Coast AVA) as well as Paso Robles wineries Ambyth Estate, and Villa Creek and others.
(All four are certified organic or biodynamic and listed in Slow Wine USA 2025 guide).
The fest will be held at the new Satellite "The Factory" Event Space at 616 E Haley Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93103.
THE WINES
"All wine must be farmed organically as a minimum. Whether certified or not, vineyards must be farmed without synthetic pesticides. Certification from CCOF, Demeter Biodynamic, etc. welcome and appreciated. Just farming *sustainable* is not enough."
"All wines must be fermented natively - whether spontaneously or using a pied-de-cuve. Sparkling wines may be accepted when fermented with non-native yeast if noted in technical information."
"No sterile filtration, no fining"
"Absolutely no additives except for SO2 with a maximum total SO2 below 70 ppm, regardless of wine style."(Note: Raw Wine allows up to 80 ppm BTW.)
"No magic techno-wizard winemaking tricks. This includes reverse-osmosis, cryo-extraction, spinning cone filtration, etc."
"None of these rules are negotiable. Breaking of any rules will result in a 3-year minimum ban from presenting at Natural Coast Festival events... and v. bad vibes!"
Growers in Lodi are "in a world of hurt," industry leaders say, due to decreased wine demand, and experts have recommended that the region tear out 30,000 acres of vines. But there may be a light at the end of the tunnel: going organic.
That's according to Vino Farms vineyard director Mike Harder who spoke at an Agrology webinar with Vino Farms viticulturist Daniel Meyers. The webinar explored the impact of organic and regenerative practices with a deep data dive on measurable soil health and respiration variables using Agrology sensors.
IMHO, I'd say this is hands down one of the most valuable webinars of the year, so far.
For a 20 percent increase in farming costs, they said buyers, large and small, are clamoring for certified regenerative organic grapes and paying double or more above the going rate compared to conventional grapes.
Markets are conversations, and it all depends on who's buying.
Bonterra was a key player in boosting Vino Farms' interest in organic grape selling, as was Avivo, a newer brand (approaching 30,000 cases in 2025). Now other smaller wineries are asking for grapes certified Regenerative Organic, the team said.
See the video and the slides for additional details.
The journey for Vino Farms began before 2023. (See earlier story with Craig Ledbetter on WineBusiness.com on the company's earlier organic perspective). The giant company farms 17,000 acres of conventional or sustainable grapes across California and is a major player in the wine grape grower world.
IN SEARCH OF SOLVENCY IN A DOWN MARKET: PIVOT TO NEW CLIENTS
Sustainable certification did not boost demand or prices, the team reported. Now the company is pivoting in a new direction it had not anticipated, representatives reported.
Said Harder:
"We are motivated as a business to stay solvent. Obviously, it's a business that's been in play for over 50 years, and we had to adapt, right? If we're going to stay in business, we can't rely on the big players, the big wineries in the game, to keep us sustainable for the future. We had to look outside the box."
"I remember a point where Dan and I got an email from our one of our owners. He says, 'Hey, my phone's going off the hook. We need to set up a meeting and talk about how we're going to expand our operations in terms of organic and biodynamic?' Well, that was two years ago."
After Avivo founder, climate activist and vintner Ridgely Evers sought biodynamic (and later regenerative and organic) grapes, in 2023, the team was invited to Bonterra in Hopland for a Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC) workshop.
"So Dan and I toodle over there. And we sit, we listen to everything. They talk about the three pillars.
"And the first two pillars–soil health–I think we can handle that. That looks great. Shouldn't be a problem. The second pillar...animal welfare, I've got a sheepherder. We contract our sheepherder out. He's good."
"But the third pillar is the one that we all kind of, we looked at each other like, Whoa. That's a little invasive. There's some vulnerability there. I don't know that that would fly with us. Well, we took that back to ownership, and ownership batted it around for a couple of weeks, and we decided, 'let's make a run at it, right? So you expose yourself a little bit with that third pillar...Let's be honest. You've got to bring in HR, you've got to bring in your employees."
"And today, we continue to receive phone calls–not from the big players, but from small wineries–looking to source fruit that is regenerative certified. That's our motivation, guys."
CONSUMER DEMAND: NEWER WINE DRINKER SEGMENT IS PRO-ORGANIC
A recent Wine Market Council study on 1,800+ consumers in their 20s and 30's (representing a variety of ethnicities) found that 59 percent prefer organically grown wines. According to WMC president Liz Thach, roughly a third of all consumers are interested in eco-friendly wines.
As Harder put it,
"Everybody understands this is a market, right? And in my 30 years, I've never seen the market as dismal as it is today. If farms are going to sustain themselves for the next 50 years, we have to adapt. So that's our motivation–to continue forward with that. And it sounds shallow in a sense, right? But at the end of the day, we are a business, right? And out of this transition into regenerative, we are learning some things about ourselves as a company."
Charlie Dubbe, Agrology's head of partnerships, said consumer demand can change farming.
"Regenerative agriculture and regenerative viticulture cannot and will not scale to the level that we need it to really revitalize our food system, and our wine grape system, without that market mechanism..."
"I think that seeing that price difference is the market mechanism to allow you guys to not only explore regenerative, but now to get excited about it and continue to scale."
Harder said organic is providing a greater upside than sustainability.
"We were hoping that sustainability would provide us with that mechanism, and it didn't. We were hoping being certified sustainable would provide a little bump in price. I'll be honest–I don't know that I have seen a price increase in the last 15, 16 years from the big players in the Lodi region. So we are in a pocket that's very unique. We can grow tonnage to a certain degree, but we're not going to pump out 15-20 tons to the acre in Lodi. We can't do it. It's not feasible, right? So, at the price point that we are at, we have to find a niche market to continue, right?"
MEETING THE SOCIAL EQUITY CHALLENGE RESULTS IN A BETTER PRODUCT
Harder volunteered to become the first at the company to help achieve the social equity pillar which requires companies to pay vineyard workers a living wage (as calculated by an MIT calculator for each region in the US). He said closer relationships with workers have led to improvements for both workers and the company.
"[The workers] are actually out there doing the leaf pulling, the suckering etc., right? There's been a disconnect for a long time–well, probably forever–between the farm management companies and the farm labor contractor employees. What we're doing now is trying to bring that circle of communication closer with everybody, and this is going to evolve into a role where I get to go around and speak with all of the Vino Farms employees...without a doubt, there's a premium being paid."
"The smaller wineries are doubling what we would normally get from the big players. That allows us to come in on the labor side and do site specific tasks that these guys are asking for us to do. I can't really do that for the big players. It's just with the cost of labor and everything...it's just not feasible right at the end of the day. We're a business. We have to stay solvent. But definitely this move into the regenerative side, and the organic side, has given us that opportunity to get back in the fields and do these cultural practices that increase the quality, right? Absolutely."
BUSINESS BENEFITS
Increased wine quality and better water retention are two of the biggest benefits, he said.
"It's kind of hard to quantify the quality standards from a phenolic standpoint, but I think at this point, feedback from the winemakers has been outstanding."
"Lodi tends to struggle with acidity just because of the heat. I'm hopeful that these practices will help mitigate some of that. We're going to increase our water moisture holding capacity, we're going to move away from all these synthetics."
In a recent internal tasting at Donum (based in Sonoma's Carneros), Harder said the Agrology soil sensors backed up experts' sensory perceptions.
"We did a really interesting tasting where they had one block [a test block] where they've got basically no till, minimal till, and then full tillage...same varietal, same irrigation, everything."
"We got to taste the wines from those three parts of the block. There were some master sommeliers–people who really have quite sophisticated palates. It was so amazing the difference between the three. Everyone agreed that there was so much more life and layers of flavor and complexity in the wine where there was no till. And then what's great is we can pull up the Agrology data–we can show, 'Oh there's way more life, there's way more microbial activity in those blocks.' So it just makes sense, right?"
"It makes sense that in order to create wines with a lot of life and a lot of complexity, we need a lot of life and complexity in the soils, and we need soils that are highly functional. And then, of course, there's all the academic research that backs that up–that shows that when you have soils with more microbial life, you get a higher production of secondary plant metabolites, phenolics, tannins, which on the other side, help the vine be resilient and resistant to stress when there's these crazy ways, right? There's all these compounding, stacking benefits to regenerative."
QUALITY ORGANIC INPUTS MATTER
Vino Farms said it is now moving to supplement purchased organic compost with a new vermiculture program. It's also adding the use of compost tea as well as trialing new products it asked its vendor GrowWest to select for evaluation. Agrology sensors provide essential data, Harder said, to evaluate the impacts of various, cost-effective practices.
"We'll brew compost tea–250 gallons. We are hoping up to start hitting up to 500 to 600 acres with compost tea at once. We're pretty much finding that this can be affordable–affordable enough that we're going to be able to hit our ranches over and over with a compost tea, and then we'll use our Agrology sensors to see if we can pick up any boosts in carbon restoration when we do that."
Meyers said that planting hedgerows of native plants inbetween the vines, not just at the perimeters, is a cultural practice the company is moving towards.
"We're applying five tons an acre of compost every other year, and then that compost is blended with SOP, and that's really probably 80 percent of our nutritional requirements right there."
"And then going into spring, we have a ranch where we get bad leaf hoppers. When you're organic and regenerative, you can't just use a neonic to get rid of leaf hoppers like a regular vineyard would."
Vino Farms brings in a drone and spreads a combination of green lace wings and parasitic wasps [natural predators] to help control both the leafhoppers and vine mealy bugs (VMB).
Then they have a spray program that is sulfur based, combined with an organic fungicide. Biodynamic sprays (BD 501 and 500) supplement those practices throughout the season.
(Watch the video to hear more detailed explanations about this slide.)
Agrology data showed that the cover crops had a bigger impact than compost additions but that the biggest soil health improvement came from not using synthetic fertilizers and herbicide, Dubbe said.
"So this, the green line here, shows the conventional is receiving more compost. It is also receiving cover crops. But yet–that difference between not using synthetic fertilizers and not using herbicides–is creating a massive difference in the microbial biomass, carbon in the microbial activity and also in the carbon accumulation."
He continued, "compost, for example, gets burned off pretty quickly, right? I think the stat is like roughly half of it gets burned off in the first year, and then it's like a little bit less than a little bit less. It lasts like five years."
"But we know that the liquid carbon pathway, which is essentially getting carbon or energy into the soil, through plants...basically is absorbed out of the atmosphere, and then it is released into the soil as root exudates. That is the best way to get carbon into the soil, and that's the best way to build your biology."
"That's the best way to build soil organic matter that really stays for a long time...we can't really overstate the importance of cover crops and just having living plants on as much of our soil as as long as possible."
Another Agrology spokesperson added his observations on typical drivers for moving toward more regenerative practices.
"Typically, we hear two motivations right for going down this road. It's quality, and then it's climate buffering, dealing with heat, and dealing with water holding," he said.
ECONOMICALLY VIABLE?
Does all this pay off in the here and now? Harder said it does.
"[In Lodi] we're anywhere from $550 to $600, $700 tops, a ton. That's the reality for conventional in Lodi. And it's been that way for 15 years, as far as I can remember. We have not seen a price increase in Lodi in that long."
"We have smaller wineries and we have larger wineries that are sourcing fruit out of the organic and regenerative blocks. The larger wineries are a little bit softer on their pricing models. They're probably around $900 to $1,000 a ton. Whereas the smaller guys, the guys that are around the 2,000 case level...we're fetching anywhere from $1,500 to $1,800 a ton."
What about the cost side? Do the increased costs to farm under regenerative and organic certifications prove cost effective in today's market?
Said Harder, "It's more expensive on the cost–your IPM line items, your weed management, your weed abatement. Some items are a little bit higher, but not significantly. I'd say [farming costs are] probably 20 percent more."
"We're far more profitable in our organic and regenerative [compared to conventional or sustainable]...Absolutely." He said there was no price difference to the buyer between organic and regenerative organic at Vino Farms.
In order to simplify things, the grapes are farmed to meet a variety of certifications ranging from A Greener World (regenerative), ROC and organic. "We have a ranch that certified regenerative organic. We have Regenerative By A Greener World...CCOF certified...Lodi Rules, Bee Friendly and Demeter Biodynamic. We just farm in a regenerative way that essentially covers every single certification."
"We are still figuring out what regenerative certification is going to bring most value to us. We think Regenerative Organic (ROC) from ROA is the way to go."
"The hardest part about being ROC certified is when you do your social equity audit–that's a multi day audit," he added.
"But when it comes to certification, regenerative is a very quickly changing world, so we'll see."
Harder also said the quality of various practices is a big factor that is not often well explained.
"In my experience and opinions, it's really worth spending a little bit extra on the sources for that compost, right? Because you need so much less of it, if you're making compost teas. If you have really high quality stuff, with higher fungal counts, [it makes a difference]."
"People say 'Oh, you cover crop. But cover cropping is not [just] cover cropping. It's not cover cropping, right? Irrigation is not [just] irrigation. Compost teas–there's such a wide variety of the qualities and then the impacts that they can have, which again, brings us back to [the fact that] it's so important to measure the results and so important to be super observant."
TOP TIPS
Harder offered advice for anyone thinking of transitioning to organic and/or regenerative: don't assume it's just input substitution, and realize a conversion is going to take time.
"When you're farming organic regenerative, don't just try to find what you do conventionally and just find an organic version of that product and farm exactly the same. You're going to run into a lot of issues. You're going to learn that organic liquid fertilizers, especially when it comes to nitrogen, lack a lot of potency. You can get your potassium pretty easily organically, because the others are you're going to run into trouble. And then if you're also doing that, you're going to learn that treating leaf hoppers is very difficult.
"I would recommend just start doing compost. Start learning to replace conventional practices with organic ones, going one at a time. And if you do it right, and you do it correctly, you really shouldn't have much of a yield drop."
Dubbe concurred.
"There's this big kind of story out there that you're going to see a yield drop. I think that that is a myth. And the other piece you said that's really important is, like, don't try to do it all at once.That's what we hear from a lot of growers who are super experienced. Move slowly. Do just one block at a time, and then slowly transition, because there's such a learning curve to it. It is not just like an input substitution model. This is what doesn't work."
"Regenerative truly is like a different approach, and it's much more systemic, and I think in a lot of ways, it's a lot more interesting and a lot more fun, but there's definitely some challenges to it."
Although Vino Farms gets a small amount of funding from the healthy soils program, Harder said the organic blocks do not receive any grant money.
"Our organic stuff is profitable on its own," he said.
San Francisco, California – Join 20+ Sonoma Valley winegrowers and producers at Fort Mason's Gallery 308 on August 17th, 2025 for a first of its kind tasting experience focused exclusively on of progressive farming practices and wine tasting. With over 2,500 acres of Sonoma Valley vineyards now dedicated to organic, biodynamic, or regenerative practices, Sonoma stands at the forefront of progressive winegrowing on a global scale.
The first ever Sonoma Organic Regenerative Biodynamic Educational Tasting (aka S.O.R.B.E.T.) offers attendees the opportunity to taste with producers and learn more about the future-focused farming techniques that have become synonymous with the world-class wines of Sonoma Valley.
Wineries Featured:
I've added * for wineries with at least one wine from certified organic vines and ** if all of the wineries'wines are from certified organic grapes.
Some of these wineries buy grapes from Rossi Ranch (which is certified).
Abbots Passage*
Bedrock Wine Co.*
Bucklin Old Hill Ranch
Donum**
Fres.Co Wines
Guthrie Family Wines
Gundlach Bundschu*
Hamel Family Wines**
Hill of Tara
Korbin Kameron**
Kivelstadt
Laurel Glen*
Marioni Winery
Once and Future*
Pangloss Cellars
Repris Wines**
Stone Edge Farm**
Violet's Paradise Wines
Winery Sixteen 600**
Event Details
Date: August 17, 2025
Time: 1-4pm PT (12-1pm access for trade and media)
Location: Historic Fort Mason, Gallery 308, 2 Marina Blvd, San Francisco, CA
Katie Bundschu (Gundlach Bundschu and Abbots Passage), Sam Coturri (Winery 16600), and Morgan Twain-Peterson MW (Bedrock Wine Co)--years after their high school bus rides--have joined forces to create an event celebrating the pioneering spirit of progressive farming in Sonoma Valley. The trio wanted to shine a spotlight on the producers making mindful, future-focused farming decisions. And so, the inaugural S.O.R.B.E.T. was born.
"Sonoma Valley is one of the most historic wine regions in California with viticulture being a main driver of the community going back to the 1850s. On top of this, there is a long history of responsible, organic farming in the valley going back decades" says Morgan Twain-Peterson MW. "We are proud of this tradition and it has been great seeing the appellation become a leader when it comes to organic, biodynamic and regeneratively farmed vineyards."
Just posting the press release issued today recognizing green leaders...three out of six awards went to wineries with certified organic estates.
RISE Climate & Wine Symposium Announces RISE Leadership Award Winners
The RISE planning committee is pleased to announce the six winners of the 2025 Leadership Awards. Winners will give an empowering "TED Talk" at RISE.
Apr 10, 2025
The six-event RISE Climate & Wine Symposium is quickly approaching, with the launch event on Tuesday, April 29, and continuing to provide inspiration via 65 expert speakers through Thursday, May 8. One powerful element of each RISE event is the presentation of awards to regional wineries providing exceptional leadership on each of the Six Pillars of Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership. These community exemplars then have the opportunity to give their version of an empowering "TED Talk" at the event.
On April 29, Pine Ridge Vineyards will receive the award for leadership in Water Efficiency & Savings, spotlighting their transition to dry farming. On April 30, the team at Domaine Carneros will be recognized for their leadership in Energy Efficiency & Savings for their cutting edge microgrid and investments in renewable energy with a clear ROI. On May 1, Violet Grgich of Grgich Hills Estate will accept the award for Soil Health & Biodiversity leadership with their holistic approach to regenerative farming, and economic analysis showing the financial value of collaborating with nature.
"Domaine Carneros is thrilled to receive the RISE 2025 Energy Leadership Award, recognizing our recent advancements with our solar microgrid, an innovative approach to energy efficiency and resiliency," says Remi Cohen, CEO. "RISE is an essential gathering where industry leaders share breakthrough solutions to our most pressing challenges. With many on our team attending, we're eager to connect, collaborate, and continue advancing. Join us in this vital conversation shaping our industry's future."
On May 6, Doug Boeschen will join to receive the award for leadership in Social Justice, Diversity & Inclusion for Boeschen Vineyards' commitment to worker disaster insurance and hazard pay.
On May 7, Clif Family Winery will reveal the results of their packaging emissions inventory and be awarded for leadership in greening their Supply Chain & Waste Prevention.
During the final event of RISE on May 8, Opus One will be recognized with the leadership award for Climate Action & Regenerative Agriculture for their whole system approach including producing biochar, transitioning to no-till, empowering their team, replacing their water-intensive berm, investing in ecosystem restoration, and more.
Violet Grgich, President of Grgich Hills, shares, "As an honored recipient of the RISE award for Soil Health & Biodiversity leadership, I look forward to joining my fellow winegrowers at this year's symposium. RISE gives us an invaluable and not-to-be-missed opportunity to join together to affect positive change in light of the existential threat of climate change on our Valley and beyond. Together, we'll pioneer a brighter, better, and greener future."
RISE brings together industry leaders with carefully curated expert speakers you'll rarely or never get to connect with here in Napa, including Mark Arax, author of "The Dreamt Land", Dr. Jonathan Lundgren, leader of the 1000 Farms Initiative, and Jermaine Stone, creator and host of the Emmy-nominated Street Somm, using hip-hop to bring new audiences to wine.
Industry icon Cathy Corison, who together with her daughter Grace Corison Martin, will give a RISE keynote, observes, "Napa Valley is staged to be a leader worldwide as stewards of the land and our community--we must support our living web. RISE is a unique opportunity to come together to collaborate and share resources. On May 7th, we'll be discussing our multi-generational approach to leadership. Join us."
Now is the time to come together and take bold action--are you ready to be inspired? Don't miss these action- and impact-oriented conversations, and the chance to connect with leaders from across the globe. Visit www.risegreen.org to learn more.
Symposium Dates & Location: April 29, 30 & May 1 and May 6, 7 & 8 | Charles Krug Winery | Carriage House | 2800 Main St, St Helena, CA
Thank you to our Exclusive Event Sponsors: Napa Valley Vintners; MCE Clean Energy; Lallemand Plant Care
Bokisch Vineyards is proud to unveil Lo Xalet, our first-ever sparkling Cava, crafted in the traditional method with 9 months of aging. Made from a classic blend of 3 Catalan varieties: Xarel·lo, Macabeo, and Parellada, Lo Xalet is a true reflection of our Spanish heritage and winemaking passion.
April 12th they are celebrating at a sold out event at the winery.
Indulge in an unforgettable evening of Spanish tapas, live music, and a toast as we celebrate the unveiling of our first-ever Cava at Bokisch Vineyards! This exquisite new sparkling wine is hand crafted from the traditional Catalan grapes grown by Markus Bokisch —Xarello, Macabeo, and Parellada—this Cava is a true tribute to our passion for Spanish winemaking.
The name Lo Xalet holds deep personal significance, honoring Markus Bokisch’s family home in Spain— the place where his love for Spanish culture and traditions first took root.
“This sparkling wine is a culmination of 25 years of hard work establishing new Spanish varieties in California. My dream has always been to create a Cava from our own home-grown Catalan varieties. I’m so excited to share this special sparkling wine with you."
Lo Xalet will be available exclusively to our wine club members starting May 3rd. This limited-edition release embodies the spirit of celebration and the rich traditions of Cava-making, bringing a taste of Spain directly to our members.
The Story Behind Lo Xalet
Markus Bokisch’s family Xalet (a Catalan term for a seaside home) is nestled in his hometown of La Ra`pita, two hours south of Barcelona. Overlooking the Mediterranean, this beautiful retreat has been a cornerstone of his family's history. Though Markus’ parents immigrated to San Diego when he was young, he spent every summer back in Spain, living with his grandmother and extended family at the Xalet. It was in this home that all of the family celebrations occurred and where Markus’ deep connection to Spanish culture and winemaking was formed.
Now, with the release of Lo Xalet, we invite you to share in this history and raise a glass to the traditions that inspire us.
About the Wine
Made from a classic blend of Xarel·lo, Macabeo, and Parellada grapes from Bokisch's estate Miravet Vineyard, this dry sparkling white is crafted in the traditional method for a refined and vibrant character. With 12% ABV, it delivers crisp acidity and lively bubbles that elevate its delicate citrus and green apple notes, paired with hints of almond and fresh bread. The wine’s crisp, refreshing finish embodies the essence of classic cava, offering a perfect balance of fruit and minerality. Price: $60
“The moment we tasted it, I was thrilled because it really took me back to Spain and our years of living in the Cava producing town of Sant Sadurni d’Anoia.” Liz Bokisch
Bokisch Vineyards Winery, Tasting Room, and Hospitality Grounds are located at 18921 Atkins Road in Lodi, California.
I have long admired Organic Wine Exchange as the best online place to shop for organically grown wines. Proprietor Ann Arnold writes about a new program she is starting which I hope will help people find affordable, everyday wines from organic vines. Most are imports, but some are from US.
I wish I could say that wine.com or Cellar and Vine (from Safeway) were good ways to explore organic options, but neither has a filter for organic.
BAY REA LOCAL IN PERSON SHOPPING - PICK UP IN PERSON
The best local place to shop for organically grown wines is Good Earth in Mill Valley (Tam Junction) or their store in Fairfax. They let you order online for pickup at their store and their selection is VERY VERY GOOD. Everyone from Grgich Hills to Cantina Orsogna (one of my favorites - it's a biodynamic coop in the Abruzzo).
ONLINE SHIPPING TO YOUR HOME
If you want to get connected to a reliable retailer online who does deliver, try Organic Wine Exchange.
"The first Third Thursday Virtual Tasting on March 20th was super successful! It must have been the alignment of the Spring Equinox and all the good vibes.
I am excited to continue this series on a monthly basis. Next month we will be joined by Jeff Morgenthal, who is the importer of Gran Fondo wines and we will explore a variety of European selections from Italy, France and Spain.
Would you like to taste the wines with us next month? If so, on the next Third Thursday Virtual Wine Tasting (April 17th) we will have wines to send to you if you would like to join in the shenanigans!
You can bring together a group of friends and family to share the wines with you, or just open a couple bottles and save the rest for later.
Perks:
1Interact with myself and the winery/importer co-host live
2Receive an after email discount code for the wines presented
3Aquire the recording of the zoom video for revisiting at a later time.
I realize not everyone likes reds and/or whites, so I have created a few options. Either way, you will be able to hear about all the wines! Prices will vary between $52 - $159 (+ tax and shipping) depending on the wines for that month, and how many bottles we taste.
•Full Wine Tasting Subscription: 4-6 bottles
•Red Only Wine Tasting Subscription: 2-4 bottles
•White Only Wine Tasting Subscription: 2-3 bottles
Our last option is the Information Only Tasting Subscription for $15 a month. This means you can listen in on the full Zoom and still receive the discount code to buy wines from this tasting and receive a recording.
The recording will be helpful for those who:
1Don’t want to open all their bottles at once
2Could or don’t make the date and time of this tasting
3Would like to host their own wine tasting at a later date
Choose your Wine Tasting Subscription option
Psst. Get 15% off your first TWO shipments for our Monthly Virtual Wine Tasting with code: VIRTUAL15X2
Your first tasting purchase will have to be received by the first week of the month to give us time to get the wines to you. If you live in or near CA, you have until the 2nd week of the month.
Keep in mind your subscription does not bind you to participating every month. If you only want to do one tasting and or pick and choose the tastings you want to participate in, you can always put you subscription on hold for as long as you need to, and come back when you’re ready.
