Expanding Choices for Organically Grown Sparkling Wines for Every Occasion and Budget

It's the time of the year for sparkling. If you're not a Champagne purist, see what California has to offer. Here are some of my fun favorites when it comes to sparkling wine from organic vines. 

But the best thing about sparkling is that it's so versatile, so even if you don't get these wines in time for New Year's Eve, they will be great with food throughout the year. 

As Mark Garaventa of Rack & Riddle told an industry audience at Unified last year, 1 in 7 bottles of wine sold today are sparkling wines.

Note: All of the wines listed here (except for pet nats and Cricket Farms) are made in the traditional method. 

Want to view this map in Google maps? Click here. 

1. A PERENNIAL FAVE | McFadden Vineyards, Mendocino | $35

I have enjoyed these wines for more than a decade, blogging about them here for at least that long. I think one year I bought seven cases. Then they were not produced for a few years, as the Pinot grapes went elsewhere, but now they are back and I see no reason not to stock up. 

Affordable and eco friendly, McFadden does everything right, helping its vineyard crew workers with year round jobs (in wreath making and its organic herb business) and making some very fine wine. Alas their tasting room in Hopland is no longer open, but you can just order the wine online. Very convenient. You need at least a bottle a month for special occasions, right? 

Here's the link to their two sparklings–a brut and a brut rosé.

2. HISTORIC RED SPARKLING? | Under the Wire, Sonoma Valley | $52

The famous Bedrock vineyard, a scion of Sonoma Valley history, is unique in so many ways. One, because it's a single vineyard sparkling from 1888 vines. Two, because it's a sparkling red. Three, because it's made from Zinfandel and echoes back to the historic Eclipse sparkling wine early Sonoma pioneers made. Some was then grown in Yolo County and made in downtown SF. 

If you want to geek out over the history, read the amazing, wonderful book A Toast to Eclipse: Arpad Haraszthy and the Sparkling Wine of Old San Francisco, which chronicles the fascinating journey.

Under the Wine has done a great lovely job of preserving this tradition. Amazingly it is one of their most popular wines. Their estate vineyard was certified organic in 2024, and is now on the path to regenerative organic certification. 

On its website, it states: 

"When we talk about the history of California sparkling wine and Zinfandel's importance to that story, the look of confusion we get from most people is reminiscent of when we first talked about making single vineyard sparkling wine in California to begin with. But it is true: the history of sparkling wine in California is linked to Zinfandel. 

In the 1860s, the first widely heralded sparkling wine was made by Arpad Haraszthy. Named “Eclipse,” it was based around Zinfandel, which was picked early for acid, along with several other varieties. 

Despite the variety's reputation for making large-scale, higher octane wines, Zinfandel is actually a high acid variety in many sites when picked at the lower sugars required for sparkling wine. 

The fruit is sourced from a block of 1888 plantings at Bedrock Vineyard and, like Haraszthy’s “Eclipse,” Zinfandel is the dominant grape, along with Grenache, Mataro, and many other varieties field-blended in.

 

The wine captures Bedrock Vineyard and the boisterous generosity of Zinfandel beautifully. 

The wine is briefly soaked on its skins to bring out more of the vineyard's personality but then very gently pressed. 

The result is a mouthwatering combination of cherry and purple raspberry fruit with an added complexity reminiscent of orange bitters and anise. Nothing is more fun than tasting this wine next to a Bedrock red from the vineyard. 

A truly unique California sparkling wine, this has become one of our most requested wines we make."

The winery offers tastings along with caviar pairings at their lovely tasting room in downtown Sonoma in the historic General Joseph Hooker House. Caviar and potato chip pairings available. 

Listen up on their podcast to hear winemakers Chris Cottrell & Morgan Twain-Peterson MW talk about the wine. (They discuss this wine at 41:00 into the episode.) 

3. PERFECT WAY TO ENTERTAIN HOLIDAY GUESTS: Amista Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley | $50-75

Organically certified inn 2024, Amista Vineyards has started to release a wide variety of unusual sparkling wines, based on everything from the traditional Chardonnay to the Rhone trio of Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah. The sparkling Syrah is their first Brut Nature. (They also have still wines). 

I wrote about visiting them this summer in a post titled Are These the Craziest Sparkling Wine Ever? 

This is also a very fun winery to visit and a great place to take any visiting wine newbies here for the holidays. No snobs allowed. Vineyard views. And they serve free, herbed popcorn to pair with the wine. Or you can get caviar and local creme freche for $35 (plus tasting fee). They have bottle service as well, offer picknicking (plus cheese and charcuterie for a fee), and you can enjoy vineyard and walking tours that showcase their riparian restoration project along the adjacent creek. 

4. PASO ROBLES' FIRST ROC SPARKLING WINE | Robert Hall Winery 2021 Sparkling Grenache Blanc | $50

Robert Hall has just been certified regenerative organic and celebrated with the release of bubbles.  You can read more about this winery's incredible field trials comparing conventional to regenerative organic vines in my recent article for Grape and Wine here. 

Celebrate this remarkable and insightful trial here with their Sparkling Grenache Blanc. 

5. OREGON PET NAT | Johan Vineyards Pet Nat of Pinot Noir or Melon de Bourgogne | $32 

Biodynamically farmed Johan in the Van Duzer Corridor in Willamette Valley has been making pet nats from lesser known varieties for quite awhile. Enjoy its pet nat of Pinot Noir or delicate Melon de Bourgogne for a refreshing fizz. 

In southern Oregon, Troon has a biodynamic pet nat from Tannat ($40). 

Of course, there are some amazing Oregon traditional method sparklers on the market, but I cannot think of an organic one right now. If you have something to recommend, reach out to me on Linkedin.com 

6. LAKE COUNTY GOODNESS | Cricket Farms (Shannon) Brut and Brut Rosé | $35

Shannon Family of Wines in Lake County has made a unique Cricket Farms brut rosé using Mourvedre and Zinfandel. Its regular brut is more traditional - made with Chardonnay from Long Valley. Both are made via the charmat method. 

They are all certified wines (by law, using less than 100 ppm of sulfites) and labeled "Made with Organic Grapes."

7. ANDERSON VALLEY'S SPARKLING WINES | Handley Cellars, Anderson Valley, Blanc de Blanc | $60 and Long Meadow Ranch's Brut (2) | $85-125

A classic from Northern California's organic pioneer, Handley Cellars' sparkling wine has earned a reputation for elegance. Like its predecessors, the 2019 is all estate grown. 

Likewise, the newer entrant, Long Meadow Ranch brut wines, crafted by the skilled Stéphane Vivier, have much to offer. There's a 2018 Blanc de Noirs and a 2018 Brut Rosé,

8. LODI'S SPANISH WONDER | Bokisch Vineyards, Lodi | $38

While Bokisch Vineyards has planted the traditional Spanish sparkling wine grapes in its vineyards, it is still waiting to release wine from the grapes that make Cava. But instead, for now, it offers two sparkling wines–one from Albarino and one from Graciano. 

9. GRAND DAME GOES ORGANIC | Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvee Rosé 2021 | $68

Here's the only all sparkling wine producer in the line up– Freixnet owned Gloria Ferrer has just become certified organic, thanks to four years of work by vineyard director Brad Kurtz and crew. 

Kyle Altomare joined as director of winemaking in 2024, coming from the famous Spanish Raventos Codorniu. The two starred in a recent podcast (here), talking about how organic farming has really raised the level of the wine quality at their 331 acre organic vineyard in Sonoma's Carneros.

The winery is owned by famed Cava producer Freixnet. You can learn more in their newly launched masterclass videos with Kurtz and Altomare on YouTube.

A big plus in visiting the winery is the wide selection of food available for purchase, which visitors can enjoy inside the tasting room or outside on the deck with panoramic views of the Carneros. The tapas menu (a la carte) includes:

• Snacks (marinated olives, pistachios, roasted almonds)
• Reserve tapas (Gambas al Ajio, ham and cheese croquette, patatas bravas, manchego and Iberico, garlic roasted mushrooms, Bilboa chorizo, empanadas)
• Shareable plates (crudite, seafood platter, caviar, charcuterie)
• Desserts (churros, a desert platter and olive oil cake)

10. CAVA GOES ORGANIC AT REGION SCALE | The More The Merrier 

Good news for CAVA lovers: 

"From 2025 onwards, all Spanish based from Penedes, Cava de Guarda Superior wines (which include Reserva, Gran Reserva, and Cava de Paraje Calificado) must be made from 100% organically grown grapes. 

This is a significant move toward environmental responsibility and reinforces Cava’s dedication to producing wines that are both high in quality and low in environmental impact."

In a Dec. 4 press release, Javier Pagés, president of the DO Cava Regulatory Board, stressed that the move to 100% organic viticulture would help Cava to stand out in one of its most important markets.

“This bold step also strengthens Cava’s positioning in the competitive U.S. sparkling wine market, where it is poised to captivate wine lovers with its heritage, quality, and commitment to organic viticulture,” he said.

The United States is the second-largest market for Cava outside of the EU. And a three-year promotional campaign is underway to win over more American consumers and make them choose Cava over other sparkling rivals such as Prosecco or Champagne.

“DO Cava is executing an extensive three-year campaign in the US, supported by EU grants,” revealed Pages. “This campaign aims to elevate the presence and appreciation of Cava de Guarda Superior among American consumers and professionals.” 

DO Penedes has 2,000 wine growers and 150 wineries. 

With many Cava wines priced just above $10, the move is sure to continue to spark interest in the market and drive Cava sales here in the U.S. 

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So - take your pick. Support artisanal, boutique U.S. producers who offer wines at a wide variety of price points and quality levels, or indulge in affordable Cava imports at everyday prices. Whichever way you look at it, sparkling wine from organic vines are on the rise. 

Paso Robles' Organic Fine Wine Wave: Big Companies–Treasury Wine Estate, Gallo, Riboli and O'Neill–All Buying Wineries with Certified Organic Vines

Something interesting is happening on California's Central Coast, and it seems to be passing under the radar of a lot of folks. We know that Big Wine companies are buying in the Paso region, a place where tourism and winemaking are "more affordable," which means less than in Napa or Sonoma or Sta. Rita Hills. (Proximity to rich consumers in big cities with high paying industries is a plus for those regions).

I recently visited this fall and found no $100+ tasting fees, but plenty of value prices ($25-$35) for tastings, though wine prices were not similarly value priced for the average wine lover, at $60-75+ for a nice estate red. 

Those tasting fees get people in the door. And then they buy. 

As Jason Haas of Tablas Creek pointed out in a 2023 blog post, only 15 percent of their customers pay the $25 tasting fee, as they either joined the wine club or bought two bottles of wine on their visit.

WHAT'S NEW: BIG WINE AND ORGANIC – BUT ONLY IN PASO

But here's what I noticed on my recent trip that I found most interesting: Big wine companies that have no organic holdings in other regions are investing in organic estate wineries in Paso Robles. 

Here's a timeline. 

2021 

Constellation acquired the three brand company, My Favorite Neighbor LLC, which included two lower price brands in addition to its swanky, all estate, luxury brand, Booker Vineyard, with its 62 acres of organic vines. The acreage was later expanded to a total of 89 acres with the purchase of a neighboring vineyard, which was just certified regenerative organic. 

(Constellation also owns Napa luxury super star Opus One, in Napa, which it certified organic in 2021. And it purchased the formerly all estate Lingua Franca in the Willamette Valley in 2022, the same year the estate became certified organic. The parent company vastly increased production using purchased grapes under its Avni label (which is predominantly not estate fruit).

2022 

Gallo bought the celebrated Denner Vineyards with its 130 acres of organic vines. 

Riboli Family bought Jada Vineyard with 55 acres of organic vines. (Jada is no longer all estate under the new management.)

2023 

Treasury Wine Estates bought DAOU for $1 billion. The estate has 300 acres certified organic in 2023.

2024 

Riboli owned San Simeon Wines certified 52 acres of organic vines (though it has not mentioned it on its website). 

O'Neill bought Robert Hall in 2016, and, in 2020, hired Caine Thompson (a veteran of organic and biodynamic viticulture and winemaking in New Zealand as well as at another O'Neill owned winery in Paso). The 130 acre estate was certified regenerative organic in 2024.

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DISCUSSION

This raises questions about how big corporate fine wine producers see wine trends. Paso attracts a younger crowd of new wine drinkers. Being organic is definitely a plus in this demographic. 

It also raises questions of how existing organic operations can educate bigger companies about how to manage vineyards with organic practices. On my trip this fall, I definitely heard about that transition on the ground as new corporate crews were now assigned to tend the vines in some wineries. A dramatic learning curve ensued. In addition, Robert Hall's been holding field days for the community several times a year to show the dramatic difference of conventional versus regenerative organic in a trial it's been running for four years. (I just wrote an in depth article about that trial for Grape and Wine magazine.)  Hopefully that bodes well for expanding U.S. organic vine acreage from just 4 percent statewide to something a lot bigger. In comparison, organic acreage for vines in France-Spain-Italy is 18 percent. 

Since growing conditions in Paso are ideal for organics, insiders say, will the region level up its organic game? Stay tuned. 

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Note: In 2022, I wrote about the acreage of existing certified organic producers and growers in the Central Coast. There you will see a tally of the region's largest growers and wineries with organic vines.

Coming soon: Halter Ranch, not owned by a major corporation, is on the verge of regenerative organic certification. Its 256 planted acres were first certified organic in 2016. 

The Official Press Release: Robert Hall Achieves Regenerative Organic Certification

DEC 5, 2024

O’NEILL VINTNERS & DISTILLERS EARNS REGENERATIVE ORGANIC CERTIFICATION

O’Neill Vint­ners & Dis­tillers, a B Corp Cer­ti­fied com­pa­ny and leader in the wine indus­try, has achieved the pres­ti­gious Regen­er­a­tive Organ­ic Cer­ti­fi­ca­tion for its Paso Rob­les estate vine­yard at Robert Hall Winery.

Regen­er­a­tive Organ­ic Certified®(ROC) sets the high­est stan­dard for agri­cul­ture, com­bin­ing USDA Organ­ic cer­ti­fi­ca­tion with bench­marks for soil health, ani­mal wel­fare, and social fair­ness. Over­seen by the non­prof­it Regen­er­a­tive Organ­ic Alliance, ROC rep­re­sents a trans­for­ma­tive approach to farm­ing that pri­or­i­tizes ecosys­tem restora­tion and com­mu­ni­ty well-being.

For Jeff O’Neill, Founder & CEO of O’Neill Vint­ners & Dis­tillers, the achieve­ment is a sig­nif­i­cant one, but still marks only the begin­ning. ​“Our mis­sion is to con­tin­ue scal­ing these prac­tices glob­al­ly, regen­er­at­ing vine­yards and mak­ing sus­tain­able wines acces­si­ble and available.”

The 140-acre Paso Rob­les vine­yard prop­er­ty rep­re­sents a liv­ing case study for the wine com­mu­ni­ty. In 2020, O’Neill launched a com­par­a­tive tri­al to explore the effects of regen­er­a­tive organ­ic farm­ing along­side con­ven­tion­al sus­tain­able prac­tices. The tri­al aimed to pro­vide open and trans­par­ent insights into the impacts on soil health, water reten­tion, car­bon seques­tra­tion, yield, and wine qual­i­ty — offer­ing grow­ers and the com­mu­ni­ty a roadmap for con­vert­ing to regen­er­a­tive organ­ic practices.

“Earn­ing the ROC des­ig­na­tion is a mon­u­men­tal achieve­ment for O’Neill and a sig­nif­i­cant step in our com­mit­ment to regen­er­at­ing our vine­yards of tomor­row,” said Caine Thomp­son, Head of Sus­tain­abil­i­ty for O’Neill Vint­ners & Dis­tillers. ​“This sets a strong foun­da­tion to expand regen­er­a­tive organ­ic farm­ing prac­tices across more of our estate vine­yards, enabling us to regen­er­ate and restore our ecosys­tems and com­mu­ni­ties, while engag­ing with indus­try to embrace and accel­er­ate this crit­i­cal move­ment.” Fur­ther com­ments are in this video.

O’Neill’s lead­er­ship extends beyond the vine­yard. Thomp­son, a glob­al board mem­ber of the Regen­er­a­tive Viti­cul­ture Foun­da­tion (RVF), col­lab­o­rates with inter­na­tion­al experts to accel­er­ate the adop­tion of regen­er­a­tive viti­cul­ture prac­tices at scale. Stephen Cronk, Chair­man of the Regen­er­a­tive Viti­cul­ture Foun­da­tion, laud­ed O’Neill’s trans­for­ma­tive impact, ​“O’Neill’s lead­er­ship in regen­er­a­tive farm­ing at scale is noth­ing short of ground­break­ing. Its com­mit­ment and trans­par­ent data shar­ing demon­strates that regen­er­a­tive farm­ing is not only fea­si­ble but offers a scal­able solu­tion to mit­i­gate cli­mate change and restore ecosys­tems globally.”

This cer­ti­fi­ca­tion is the lat­est in a long list of sus­tain­abil­i­ty-focused achieve­ments by the team at O’Neill Vint­ners & Dis­tillers. Since 2021, O’Neill has earned the Green Medal Leader Award from the Cal­i­for­nia Wine Insti­tute, has become a Cer­ti­fied B Cor­po­ra­tion, earned TRUE Zero Waste cer­ti­fi­ca­tion, and accom­plished CCOF organ­ic cer­ti­fi­ca­tion in its vine­yards in Paso Rob­les and Ram’s Gate Win­ery in Sono­ma. O’Neill not only joins an exclu­sive group of pio­neers but also sig­nals a seis­mic shift in how wine can be pro­duced — with trans­paren­cy, envi­ron­men­tal stew­ard­ship, and long-term sus­tain­abil­i­ty at its core. As the regen­er­a­tive organ­ic move­ment gains momen­tum, O’Neill Vint­ners & Dis­tillers stands as a bea­con for what’s pos­si­ble when inno­va­tion meets bold action.

Booker Vineyard's New Estate Extension Becomes Regenerative Organic Certified – Booker Now Certified on All 89 Planted Acres

Plus...

Iconic Willow Creek District Winery Also Earns 2024 Environmental Steward Award from Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance

by Booker

Dec 19, 2024

PASO ROBLES, Calif., (Dec. 19, 2024) -- Following the recent expansion of its estate into a neighboring 27-acre vineyard, Booker Vineyard & Winery today announced that this new acreage has been officially designated as Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC™), affirming that it meets the highest standards in the world for soil health and farmworker fairness.

Concurrently, Booker has earned the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance's 2024 Environmental Steward Award, which recognizes "the business that has undertaken the greatest effort to ensure their operations are managed with the best 'green' business standards." This award was announced last week.

Aiming High

Booker's expanded estate property was acquired from the neighboring Caliza Winery last summer, and it has since been enfolded into the original Booker estate in the Willow Creek District of Paso Robles. The original Booker estate was already certified by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC™), and those certifications now officially extend to the entire expanded estate.

"The previous owner, Carl Bowker at Caliza, had been farming these vines organically for several years, and we were able to demonstrate this track record with the certifying bodies," said Senior Vineyard Manager Hilary Graves. "Additionally, the vineyard is now being farmed by the same team and practices that earned Booker these certifications in the first place. For these reasons, we were able to increase our Regenerative Organic Certified® acreage relatively quickly."

Graves added, "Every vine on the expanded estate now officially reflects the high standards that we set for ourselves when it comes to farming and social responsibility. The first thing I did was tell our whole team, 'This is yours to take care of and to treat just like our existing estate.' They were really happy, they didn't miss a beat, and they rose to the challenge of this new responsibility."

Peak Recognition

Booker's trailblazing efforts in the field of regenerative organic viticulture have not gone unnoticed, as the winery's peers have selected Booker as the 2024 recipient of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance's Environmental Steward Award--a distinction earned by the efforts of Graves and her team.

The award states: "Hilary Graves has led Booker to CCOF and Regenerative Organic Certification, cutting vineyard water use in half, and implementing novel sustainable practices such as sheep grazing, falconry, and drone based beneficial insect deployment. Hilary takes it to another level by traveling the country, spreading the word that organic and sustainable farming is not only affordable but essential to our survival."

This award is 20 years in the making at Booker Vineyard, as Founder-Winemaker Eric Jensen began farming the estate with organic practices starting in 2006. "For every problem, there's an organic or regenerative solution," Jensen said. "You have to work and think harder to find it, but that just makes you a better farmer, and a better steward of the land and the community."

www.bookerwines.com 

Can Regenerative Organic Farming Pencil Out? Study Provides State-of-the-Art Data and Demonstrates Dramatic Improvements in Wine Quality and Yields

It's been exciting to visit Robert Hall Winery in Paso Robles to meet with GM Caine Thompson and learn, see and taste the results of their three year study comparing conventional and regenerative organic (with a healthy dose of biodynamic preps and sprays), transforming their vineyard on the hot dry east side of Paso from a site growing a $20 Cab to a $50+ bottle, with only a ten percent increase in farming costs. 

Yes, you read that right. More than doubling on price alone. A pretty good return on investment.

The study is also showing a dramatic increase in other all important positive measures–water retention, decreased carbon emissions, and YIELDS.

I have written about this study for Grape and Wine magazine, which just published it online. Look for it here.

Here are a few excerpts to entice you to read more.  

Slides on the full study can be seen online at shorturl.at/suO86.

"Usually, winery trials like this take place under cover of darkness and are typically aided only by subjective, qualitative assessments. Often, growers will try out organic farming on a block or two (and the same for biodynamics) and decide whether to implement these farming techniques. After several years of building their confidence through various vintages, they may decide to become certified organic.

Not so at Robert Hall, which has jumped into an impressive research study that is finding startling new results and is open to the public and peers thanks to an initiative proposed by General Manager Caine Thompson. The winery is now certified regenerative organic certification.

Thompson praised the ROA certification not only for its faming standards but for the human social fairness practices it encourages. “We’ve got a really transparent feedback loop with monthly meetings with the vineyard team and myself and the winemaking team,” he said. “We’ve noticed more engagement, and turnover has gone down. The quality of work has gone way up.”

When Thompson came on board in 2020, he asked Jeff O’Neill, CEO of O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, if he could conduct a side-by-side comparison and measurement of conventional versus regenerative organic (no till and more). Tablas Creek, certified both biodynamic and ROC, had previously worked with academics to study the impacts of tillage and grazing, which provided a helpful precedent. O’Neill gave the Robert Hall study the thumbs-up.

Thompson, a native of New Zealand, had personally been farming organically and biodynamically for 20 years in New Zealand at Pyramid Valley and Mission Estate Winery and had previously conducted research on converting to organic.

Begun in 2021, the Robert Hall study encompassed 48 acres in the vineyard surrounding the winery (in the Geneseo AVA). 43 acres were converted to regenerative organic. 5 acres were retained as the conventional control. The control includes the use of cover crops and compost which advantaged it with better practices than the average conventional vineyard (though cover crops are widely used). Both the control and regenerative organic vines are Cabernet Sauvignon (clone 15, originally from the Bordeaux region).

Thompson wanted to make sure he was measuring like with like and went the extra mile to make sure that was the case. “We had satellite images and soil maps to ensure we were setting up the trial with like for like literally side by side, the same soil type and the same clone,” he said.

Four years later, he and his team have a lot of data to look at and experiences to review.

Their ongoing study is finding regenerative organic practices have benefits that exceeded their expectations. “I was surprised at how quickly the differences showed up,” he said. “Even in year one, there were noticeable changes.”

On a vineyard tour in November, he pointed to a newly planted neighbor’s vineyard, where the soils were clearly pure hardpan.

“When we broke ground farming this way four years ago, you could barely get a spade into the ground,” he said. “Now, we’ve got a living, breathing soil."

“The soils are more open, more friable, and there’s just so much more life within the vineyard. When you walk into the vineyard now, it’s like this biodiversity nightclub of energy and insects and life all around you, and I think that’s translocating down through the roots, into the soil, and you’re getting that expression back up into the fruit and then into the resulting wine,” he said.

Regenerative organic farming is easier in addition to being more rewarding financially, he said.

“When you have that type of biodiversity within a vineyard, the diversity and the predators take care of a lot of the pests and disease. You’re building these polycultural systems; it’s not just a monoculture. You’ve got a whole bunch of different cover crops growing in there and different species. You get more diversity through predators in there, so the pest populations get brought into balance naturally,” he added.

“When we started the project, we were doing three to four biodiversity drops of pest predators to build up a baseline [predator] population. Now we’re only doing one or two. They’re basically maintenance drops now, and of course, there’s no insecticides being used, no herbicides being used, no synthetic fungicides.”

The team has the data to prove yields are up, water retention is up and wine quality is improving, he said. In 2021 and 2022, they collected all the data themselves.

Farming costs for the regenerative organic block increased an average of 10% annually overall.

Agrology Technology Adds Insights: Water Retention Up 13%

In 2023, the study began integrating state of the art carbon monitoring and other data-gathering technology from Agrology, measuring soil moisture, soil respiration, CO2 in the canopy, carbon concentrations in soil, and ground and canopy temperatures.

The team found the regenerative organic block increased water retention 13% in just one year compared to the conventional block. In a region that typically gets only 18 inches of rain per year, while the climate continues to warm, that is significant.

The regenerative organic vines also boosted microbial activity, Agrology found.

Regenerative Organic Mitigated Heat and Heat Spikes

This fall, Paso’s heat spikes shattered heat records for six days in a row, reaching a high of 107 degrees F and affecting soil temperatures.

The regenerative organic block were consistently lower in temperature than the conventional block, the data showed. Similar results applied in measuring the canopy temperature.

The team calculated there was “a 7.8% decrease in average daily high temperature during the critical harvest period in the regenerative block,” when grapes are typically in danger of ripening too quickly.

 Yields and Costs

The conventional control yielded 1.85 t/acre while the regenerative organic yielded 2.17 t/acre. The data highlights in three out of four years, the regenerative organic vineyard has produced a more resilient canopy that has helped protect the fruit, leading to improvements in yield.

Canopy comparison of regenerative organic and conventional vines during year two (summer 2022) of the trial.

Wine Quality Skyrocketed

Another major benefit was dramatically increased wine quality.

“There’s more complexity in the wine compared to the conventional control,” Thompson said. “There’s freshness, there’s more vibrancy, there’s a different energy in the wines. We’ve got more of those classic Cabernet characters,” he said.

Yields in the trial were higher three out of four years for the regenerative organic block vs the conventional block.

Sharing the Data (and the Wine)

“The whole idea of the study was to be collaborative, to be open to industry,” he said. “We hold quarterly field days to share the results and the learnings and this whole journey toward regenerative organic.”

Visitors are welcome to taste the wines side by side from the trial during field days (open to all) to compare the differences for themselves.

Expanding the Scope

Thompson’s scope in applying learnings from the study is wider than the vines at Robert Hall. He oversees sustainability for all O’Neill Vintners & Distillers properties (the seventh-largest winery in California) and sits on the boards of several international sustainability groups.

O’Neill’s vast holdings include 870 acres in Parlier, Calif. The company also contracts 200 growers with 15,000 acres of vines. All are now required to meet some kind of sustainability program requirements. In July, O’Neill purchased its first Washington winery, Wines of Substance. O’Neill’s luxury brand, Ram’s Gate in Sonoma, is in the process of becoming certified regenerative organic on 28 acres in the Carneros AVA.

Thompson’s study has reinforced his belief and experience that regenerative organic winegrape growing can be profitable for all.

“We now have a vineyard that’s alive, that’s diverse, and more resilient in the face of climate related issues and pests and disease,” he said.

“The vineyards are definitely becoming more resilient to climate change and some of the extremes that we’re seeing with temperature, with heat, and the pressure that’s put on canopies and fruit. Under the regenerative organic side, we’ve got a bigger, healthier canopy, resulting in more shade and protection. We’ve got darker, greener leaves that are working really efficiently, and they’re protecting the fruit. Those leaves obviously move with the sun, but they protect the fruit in these larger canopies, so the resulting fruit is intact. It’s not shriveled, it’s not dehydrated, and that’s leading to better wine quality,” Thompson added.

Robert Hall Winery offers consumer and trade vineyard tours to the control and regenerative organic blocks (side by side) and schedules field days that provide growers and others to learn in depth about the trial.

The full study can be seen online at shorturl.at/suO86.

Read the full article - complete with charts and data - at Grape and Wine. 

Monarch Butterfly Proposed For Listing Under The US Endangered Species Act

PORTLAND, Ore.; December 10, 2024—The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed to list the monarch butterfly as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, as announced today. The butterfly is widely known for its  continent-spanning migration and occurs in every U.S. state except Alaska.

This announcement came as the result of a listing petition submitted in 2014 by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Center for Food Safety, and the late monarch scientist Lincoln Brower.

“We welcome this decision to protect monarchs as threatened under the Endangered Species Act,” said Sarina Jepsen, endangered species program director of the Xerces Society. “The recent counts from monarch overwintering sites in both Mexico and California have been extremely low, which underscores that monarchs need protection immediately. Sites that used to host tens of thousands of monarchs now have just a few butterflies.”

Scientists estimate that since monitoring began in the 1980s and 1990s, monarch butterflies have declined by approximately 80% in their eastern population and more than 95% in their western population. The overwintering area occupied by eastern monarchs in Mexico’s oyamel forests dropped to just 2.2 acres last winter, down from 5.4 acres the year prior and as much as 44.9 acres in the late 1990s. Early monitoring this fall by the Xerces Society at western monarchs overwintering groves in California suggests it will be the second lowest population year since the late 1990s.

“It may seem surprising that a species that many of us are used to seeing in our parks and gardens is in trouble, but the long-term data has shown that monarchs are in serious decline. We want to reverse that before it’s too late,” said Emma Pelton, a monarch conservation biologist with the Xerces Society. “The fact that monarchs spend their winters closely packed into small areas of forest in coastal California and central Mexico makes them especially vulnerable.”

The monarch faces many threats, including the loss of milkweed—the preferred plant its caterpillars eat—and other flowering plants across its range. Monarchs have also declined due to the degradation and loss of forests they rely on for winter shelter in both coastal California and Mexico, and the widespread use of pesticides in the environment. Many of these stressors are worsened by the effects of climate change.

Monarchs fly up to 3,000 miles to complete their migration. They don’t quit, and neither will we until they are recovered,” said Scott Black, director of the Xerces Society. “This is an ‘all hands on deck’ conservation issue. The Xerces Society will continue working with everyone from farmers and ranchers, to managers of roadsides and energy infrastructure, to individual enthusiasts to restore monarch habitat and help these inspiring animals.”

Everyone can be a part of the solution to recover monarch butterflies. Visit xerces.org/monarchs to learn more about how to help.

The Fish and Wildlife Service will be hosting a virtual presentation for stakeholders to go over the proposal and take questions on Friday, December 13, at 3:00pm EST/12:00pm PT.

Napa Valley Wine Library | Cabernets from Historic Alluvial Fans of the Mayacamas

It felt like a very august gathering–with six super prestigious winemakers in the house, and the "house" being Inglenook, which is about the closest Napa Valley comes to the Smithsonian. 

The Napa Valley Wine Library's annual wine seminar is, by all accounts, one of the most memorable of the year, directed by a nonprofit group whose mission, as moderator Tegan Passalaqua mentioned in his opening remarks, is to "preserve and disseminate information regarding viticulture, enology and wine lore."

It seemed only fitting that Inglenook, easily the most historic winery in Napa, was the host and that the topic this year was "Historic Alluvial Fans of the Mayacamas in the AVA’s of Oakville, Rutherford & St. Helena." 

Too often tastings center on commercial impulses, promoting an AVA or a specific winery. The Napa Valley Wine Library's event was especially appreciated for its noncommercial purpose, curated purely for educational pleasure and lore.

The Lineup

Of the six wines selected, four were from certified organic vineyards. (Vine Hill Ranch is not certified but is said to farm organically. I am not certain about what used at Scarecrow.) 

Each winemaker or vintner gave a brief synopsis of their winery's history. The sequence was from south to north. Attendees were not guided on tasting notes and left, mercifully, to just enjoy the wines on their own. And what joys they were.

A delicious steak lunch followed, paired with an outstanding salad that led the guests at my table to ask who catered the event. Afterwards, the group was invited to stand outside on a knoll and look back at the Coppola's former historic home and the vineyards at the back of the estate.

Here is the lineup of presenters and their wines.

VHR - Bruce Phillips, Owner & Vintner
2021 Oakville Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon
Françoise Peschon, Winemaker
946 cases, 14.8% ABV

MACDONALD - Graeme MacDonald, Owner & Winemaker
2021 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon
525 cases, 14.5% ABV

Scarecrow - Celia Welch, Winemaker
2021 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
1,600 cases, 14.5% ABV

Inglenook - Jonathan Tyer, Associate Winemaker
2021 Rutherford “Rubicon”
4,250 cases, 14.2% ABV

Corison - Cathy Corison, Owner & Winemaker
2021 St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon
1,800 cases, 13.6% ABV

Spottswoode - Aron Weinkauf, Vineyard Manager & Winemaker
2021 St. Helena Family Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon
3,730 cases; 13.6% ABV

WINE NOTES

I have written about a number of these wines (Corison, MacDonald, Spottswoode) over the years for Slow Wine USA, but it was a revelation to taste them all side by side in one seated tasting with the winemakers present and introducing the sites. 

One wine in particular really stood out for me and that was MacDonald's. The site (which I have visited courtesy of the MacDonalds when writing about them for Slow Wine) is one of the most thrilling, especially when you look at the terrain above. It's clear that this area is the beneficiary of the biggest rock slide, with richly divergent minerals and soils that cascaded down the Mayacamas. To think it was a cherry orchard...one wants to try those cherries. 

Graeme MacDonald shared that, back in the day, the grapes, sold to Mondavi, were 90 percent of its reserve blend.

While all of the wines and the winemaker were extraordinary, for me this particular wine is a standout for those minerals. You could taste that "one was not like the others." I hope I am attributing that correctly to these rocks. 

My Notes

Alas I am not an artist at heart (though I did direct 50 films for Apple) so I don't make tasting notes with little fruits on them. In fact, although I do write tasting notes (hundreds and hundreds of them for publication in Slow Wine Guide), I somewhat resent them, as I think they are reductionist in the extreme. (Forgive me, wine educators.) To me, personally, the taste of wine is not something you can actually pin down, as wine changes, and the context changes, etc. etc., but wine writers as a profession are required to write them. I look forward to the day when we have a better way to describe wine. (Perhaps AI will come up with something). 

I did take notes, but, to reassure you, I usually record audio at events, so I don't have to rely solely on the hodge podge of jottings you see here below, but I kind of like them on paper. Maybe someday I will frame this up just for fun.

The event made me want to run to the St. Helena Library wine books room, which has the Galloni maps of each winery in each AVA. 

The backside of Inglenook, from the knoll at the rear of the winery, on a beautiful fall day, showing the alluvial fans on the estate.

Tegan Passalaqua, moderator

There are so many facets of wine to enjoy. Many thanks to the Napa Valley Wine Library for having this annual seminar. May it continue.

Wine Spectator Top 100 Features 7 Wines from Slow Wine Guide | Including 4 U.S. Wines from Organic Vines

My Thanksgiving wine is from this Pinot from Roserock, which was #6 on the Wine Spectator Top 100 List. 

The notes below come from Wine Spectator. See the new Slow Wine Guide notes in our 2025 guide, coming soon!

Drouhin Oregon Roserock Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills  Watch the video Supple and elegantly structured, with detailed raspberry and cherry flavors accented by rose petal, brown baking spices and orange peel as this glides toward polished tannins. Drink now through 2032. 15,100 cases made. —TF  I have tasted this wine  I want to taste this wine

2022

94

$44

Calera Pinot Noir Mount Harlan Ryan Vineyard (ORGANIC) A packed red, with a core of mulled dark currant, black cherry and blackberry paste flavors that are dense yet defined, while singed anise, alder and warm earth notes fill in throughout. The rigid structure carries the finish, leaving a chalky, mouthwatering echo. With the fruit to match its matrix, this should be a beauty at its peak. Best from 2026 through 2040. 1,100 cases made. —JM

2021

96

$95

Bergström Pinot Noir Ribbon Ridge La Spirale Vineyard Dynamic and seductive, with a fleshy texture that wraps around its elegantly complex core. Features fragrant raspberry and strawberry flavors accented by rose petal, dusky spice and forest floor notes that build richness and polish on the luscious finish. Drink now through 2033. 1,163 cases made. —TF

2022

95

$100

Bethel Heights Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills Estate (ORGANIC) Taut and vibrant, with a steely core of acidity and tannins that drives the flavors of raspberry, cranberry and dusky spices toward the firm finish. Best from 2025 through 2031. 4,548 cases made. —TF

2022

92

$36

Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District Cask 23 (ORGANIC) This is loaded with gorgeous flavors of boysenberry, mulberry and blackberry puree that maintain a sleek and refined feel as violet, iris and anise notes add range, lift and energy. A super fine-grained feel completes the seduction on the lengthy finish, where subtle minerality chimes prettily. Drink now through 2042. 2,175 cases made. —JM

2021

97

$375

Massican Annia California Juicy and plump, with peach, mango and tangerine flavors that reveal pretty floral accents of orange blossoms, lemon verbena and ylang-ylang, while notes of white pepper and sea salt minerality linger on the long, fresh finish. Ribolla Gialla, Tocai Friulano and Chardonnay. Drink now. 2,736 cases made. —MW

2022

91

$36

Burgess Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Promiscua (ORGANIC) An enticing, delicious version, showing ripe, juicy boysenberry and blackberry paste flavors laced with anise and apple wood notes. Offers lively grip, while pretty violet and iris accents keep this balanced and fresh throughout. Drink now through 2038. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 2,142 cases made. —JM

2021

93

$145

Celebrating Wine AND Food: Polyculture Producers

A shout out to the wineries with organic estates that also grow food and feed us. Happy Thanksgiving!

A side note: six out of the eight are or were certified biodynamic producers. 

California 

Napa 

• Clif Family

The Clif Family (yes, they founded and used to own Clif Bars) has migrated to Howell Mountain where they grow wine grapes and some fruit and veggies. They purchased a large vineyard on the valley floor in Oak Knoll. (You drive right past it going north on Route 29.) And they have a food truck locals and tourists like love in downtown St. Helena. Their preserved food wares are for sale in their St. Helena tasting room or online.

• Long Meadow Ranch and Farmstead

Laddie Hall and her husband Ted have been stalwart champions of organic wine grape growing in Napa from the start. Laddie's been selling their produce for decades at the St. Helena Farmers Market and now at their Farmstead Ranch in St. Helena on Fridays. Farmstead is also a restaurant, following Ted's vertical integration business model. The legendary Amigo Bob, CCOF founder and organic eco-hero, was one of their first guides to growing organic wine grapes. 

Mendocino

• Filigreen Farm | Velma's Farm Stand

Known mostly to those who live in Anderson Valley, Filigreen Farm does not have a public face, but it is one of the top quality biodynamic farms in the U.S. It sells its grapes to various wine producers, including Donkey and Goat. But it's delicious biodynamic produce and biodynamic olive oil and other farm produce are on sale at its roadside stand.

Sonoma - Dry Creek Valley

• Davero Farms & Winery

Devoted to Italian varieties, this Healdsburg "living farm" is co-owned by a chef. Their olive oil won awards in Tuscany. The variety of wines is unique and appealing. They make estate honey and jams from their orchard. 

• Preston Farm & Winery

A Dry Creek Valley mainstay, this bucolic, organic (and formerly certified biodynamic) farm and winery has it all–a farm stand with produce (with a freezer of estate lamb sausage) and a tasting room brimming with good cheer and great wine. 

• Quivira Vineyards

Another Dry Creek winery, it sells estate grown apple butter and pear butter, green fig and peach jams and quince jelly. Delicious. Some include their famous Sauvignon Blanc and other wines. They also have a Slow Food Arc of Taste that preserves historic flavors. 

Oregon

Southern Oregon

Cowhorn Vineyard and Garden

Long time farmers of asparagus and other crops for local consumption, this biodynamic winery and farm specialized in Rhone wines, but has been expanding its agricultural roots under new management. 

Troon Vineyard and Farm 

A truly diversified biodynamic producer, it makes its own estate grown cider and apples, has a vegetable garden and hay fields, along with re-wilded honeybees, sheep and chickens.  

Willamette Valley 

Soter Vineyards Mineral Springs Ranch

A biodynamic pioneer in Oregon's Willamette Valley, Tony Soter, formerly an organic vit star in Napa, set up shop with biodynamic farming and viticulture at its heart in his home state. They've had a farm stand at the estate. Today they offer culinary experiences at the tasting room from estate produce. 

Looking for an Eco-Friendly Holiday Wine Outing? Sonoma Plaza's a Perfect Destination

Producers with organic estates are increasingly opening tasting rooms on the square. Save on gas! Spend your time browsing, strolling and sampling and enjoying.

Four stellar wineries around Sonoma Plaza with organically grown wines

The holidays are here. If you’re entertaining visitors who want to visit wine country or looking for a fun day in wine country yourself, you can find a fabulous cross section of wines and wineries in downtown Sonoma. 

Hidden amongst the big commercial, corporate owned winery tasting rooms that fill the downtown area are four, incredible, locally owned winery gems with organic estate vines.

This compact tour can help you overcome the biggest challenge to wine tasting in Sonoma–its vast size. Its sprawling expanse encompasses 1,575 square miles. (It’s bigger than the state of Rhode Island.) You can spend a lot of time in the car trying to taste at various wineries. 

Or you can drive to Sonoma, park and walk around. 

And, of course, there’s plenty of fine dining downtown as well (Girl and the Fig, Valley Bar and Bottle, and El Dorado Kitchen) for a leisurely lunch or dinner.

The Sonoma Plaza Solution: Four Top Producers (With Organic Estate Vines) Within Two Blocks

De-Stress theWine Curious By Mixing It Up

Wine is “exciting, romantic, mysterious, intoxicating” to many people. Lots of visitors, especially those from out of town, visit wine country and try some wine, but grow bored with nonstop wine tasting and wonder about the expense of both tastings and the wines.

As we all know, intimidation is a common response. Their eyes glaze over with each new adjective. Tannins? What’s a tannin? They may ask. 

Bullet proof their wine country travels with the historic Sonoma plaza, which is filled with shops, bookstores, hotels, ice cream vendors, a bakery, fancy dress shops, a wonderful old timey movie theater and a great deal of 19th century character which break up the monotony of what non-wine aficionados might otherwise find overkill. There are also great historic museums. (My favorite is the General Vallejo House. He was the O.G. of Sonoma Valley wine.)

As you will see below, all of these winners offer tastings from $30-45. (Not $75 to $100+++.) (However, they all offer the opportunity to upgrade to more reserve wines and luxe experiences for those who are interested.) 

Bedrock requires an appointment; the other three are more flexible, but it's always best just to call ahead. 

Variety–From Rose and Whites to Rhones and Cabs 

For wine afficionados and the wine curious alike, this downtown Sonoma tour provides huge variety in the wine varieties and winemaking, which can captivate many. The tasting rooms are also hugely diverse in ambiance. 

Wine wise there’s everything from white and red Rhones (Rosé! Grenache! Syrah!) and lively Sauvignon Blanc to old vine Zinfandels and classy, collectible Cabs. There are rarities like Carignan from 1880’s vines.

Vineyard manager par excellence and an organic pioneer Phil Coturri farms for three of the four wineries (Bedrock has its own estate in Sonoma Valley), which grow their vines high above Sonoma in the Moon Mountain District, an appellation Coturri played a leading role in founding.

All of these producers waive tasting fees with purchase or wine club signup (but you will not be hounded to join any clubs). (You may, however, find yourself enthusiastic enough to want to join their clubs).

• Bedrock Wine Co. | Historic Setting and Vineyards | $45 | By appointment 

In a little alley off the main square, enjoy the grower portrait filled ambiance of Bedrock’s tasting room, in the historic 1852 General Joseph Hooker House, or, weather permitting, its outdoor deck. Tasting flight selections vary, but you can ask for the organically grown estate wines. 

Morgan Twain-Peterson MW, son of famed Zin O.G. Joel Peterson, and a fan of wine history, makes the wines. The family owns one of the oldest and famous old vine field blend vineyards in nearby Glen Ellen with vines dating back to the 1880s. The company also buys grapes from historic vineyards (farming unverified) around the state. The winery also has a very entertaining podcast to geek out with. 

Classics: The Bedrock Heritage (a Zin dominate field blend)

Rarities: Carignan, Sauvignon Blanc, Monte Rosso Zinfandel

• Kamen Estate Wines | Downtown Wine Bar or Seated Tasting or Moon Mountain Skydeck Tasting | $30-$50 flights | $75 seated | $150 for Sky Deck estate tasting 

In a modern wine bar where Cabernet is the star, drop ins can pick between the basic or reserve flights, or arrange (by appointment) a seated tasting with snacks ($75). Best of all, book in advance for the Skydeck tasting–you’ll be driven up the mountain to stunning views of the Bay Area from atop Moon Mountain. I spent a special birthday here admiring the unforgettable views and feeling a lot of gratititude for nature’s splendor and special wines. 

Mark Kamen, the owner, is a famous Hollywood screenwriter who found his piece of heaven on nearby Moon Mountain. Mark Herold makes the wines. The vines are all from the estate and grown in volcanic soils atop Moon Mountain. 

Classics: Cabernet Sauvignon is the house specialty but don’t overlook the other options.

Rarities: Other bottles (Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache, a superb red blend called Writer’s Block) may be open for tasting or purchase.

For the rest of the wineries, click here to visit Organically Sonoma (it's free).