The Economics of Organic Viticulture - Come See the Heavy Hitters in Organics in Person Nov. 7 in Napa

Grgich Hills Estate at Rutherford will host a kickass lineup of organic experts at a Napa Green sponsored afternoon event Thursday Nov. 7. 

Rarely do so many organic experts appear together in one live event in wine country. 

In addition, new stats on organic wine grape vineyard in California shows that Napa has a quarter of the state's organic vineyard acreage. 

Here's the list of speakers and topics. Copy in italics is mine.

2:00 Introduction

Anna Brittain | Executive Director | Napa Green

2:05 Organic Vineyard Management in Varying Contexts & Conditions

Phil Coturri | Enterprise Vineyard Management & Winery Sixteen 600

Who he is: Phil has converted hundreds of acres of vineyards to organics in both Sonoma and Napa, where he manages the vines at Oakville Ranch, Neotempo and Mayacamas (which included a giant replanting of the estate). He is also known for his wine growing in Sonoma and for creating the Moon Mountain District AVA (which used to be part of the Sonoma Valley AVA). In Sonoma, he farms for Lasseter, Kamen (where he famously created blocks planted on volcanic rocks), and he used to farm for Dick Arrowood. (You can only imagine the pairing of a leftwing, Deadhead vineyard guy [Phil] with a right wing famous Cabernet guy ([Arrowood] who was famous for putting Sonoma Cab on the map.) His own winery in Sonoma, Winery Sixteen 600, is a gem.

You can read more about him in this Sonoma magazine profile [https://www.sonomamag.com/meet-the-godfather-of-sonoma-wine-country/] from 2023.

2:30 The Financial Case for Regenerative Organic Viticulture

Bernat Sort Costa | Regenerative Organic Research Manager | Grgich Hills Estate

Who he is: Spanish born Costa attended viticulture and enology school in Barcelona before coming to Grgich Hills originally as an intern in 2017. He became assistant winemaker in 2017 before assuming his role as regenerative organic research manager in 2023. 

2:50 Cost-Benefit Analysis of Regenerative Ag

Axel Herrera Moreno, Postdoc, UC Davis Dept. of Land, Air & Water Resources

Who he is: Axel works with UC Davis' leading regenerative viticulture researcher, Dr. Christina Lazcano, associate professor in the department. Axel presented a cost analysis at a recent regenerative ag event (not organic) at Jackson Family. (See Wine Business story here). That study is looking at the effects of combining two regenerative practices at a time to try to isolate the impacts of each combination. Laszano is presenting the findings of their research at the Terroir conference in Argentina next month. 

3:10 Break to pour wine

3:20 Dollars & Sense of Implementing Climate-Smart Viticulture

Moderator: Anna Brittain

Napa Green is a leader in greening viticulture and wineries.

Rebekah Wineburg | Winemaker | Quintessa

Quintessa is a certified organic and biodynamic estate with 160 acres. Chilean biodiversity expert Olga Barbosa is working with Wineburg to improve biodiversity on 35 acres. (Barbosa has also worked on projects with the Napa Valley Grape Growers). 

Brad Kurtz | Vineyard Director | Gloria Ferrer

Gloria Ferrer, owned by the Spanish based Freixenet company, is on the verge of completing organic certification on 330 acres and implementing many regenerative practices.

Sarah Ferguson | CEO/Co-Founder | Ruetd

Ruetd is a data analytics firm specializing in viticulture. Ferguson has worked extensively with the Napa Valley Grape Growers.

4:15 Wrap-up

For ticket information, click here.

Where Are California's Organic Vines? CCOF Stats Shows 4 Percent of State's Wine Grape Vines are Organic–A Quarter Are in Napa

Newly released data from CCOF, the state's largest organic certifier, shows that there are 23,187 acres of wine grapes in the state that are certified organic compared to industry statistics of a statewide total of about 550,000 acres of bearing wine grapes. 

(Ridge Vineyards, which uses Organic Certifiers, has about 200 more acres of organically grown wine grapes.)

Compared to Europe's major wine growing countries–where 18 percent of wine grapes are certified organic, California's numbers are pretty low–just 4 percent. That's about one fifth as much percentage wise as the three leading organic wine grape countries in the EU.

In 2016, CCOF certified 10,644 acres of organic wine grapes, which means acreage has more than doubled since 2016. 

Napa Has 24 Percent of State's Organic Wine Grape Acreage

Of the wine grapes in California that are certified organic, one county has 24 percent, or about a quarter of all of the certified organic wine grapes in the state. Napa has 5,550 acres of certified organic wine grapes. That amounts to 12 percent of the county's wine grapes overall.  

Sonoma Organic Wine Grapes Are 11 Percent of State's Organic Wine Grape Acreage

In comparison, Sonoma has 2,537 acres of organic wine grapes (according to CCOF) out of a total of about 60,000 acres of wine grapes, according to government officials. That is about 4 percent of the wine grapes in Sonoma.

Data for other regions was not yet available. 

SudVinBio: Organic Growing Growing Growing in EU | 500 MORE Estates Converted in 2023 in the EU

Sharing an article from The Drinks Business on the upcoming global organic wine conference held annually in south of France.

European producers continue to grow the organic sector which has already been at 18% of production. (In California its 4 percent with a quarter of that in the high priced Napa region.)

Boldings are mine.

Hosted in Montpellier by the SudVinBio association, the large scale Millesieme Bio event brings together some 1,100 winegrowers, co-operative members and trading companies across Occitania—one of Europe’s leading organic regions.

Despite economic tensions, the major organic wine industry indicators remain positive. Though admittedly at a slower pace than in 2018 to 2020, vineyard conversions continue, and last year saw over 500 new conversions start. 1.6% more vines were farmed organically, according to figures by Agence Bio.

In terms of markets, all channels are in growth, with the exception of super or hypermarkets where the wine department is experiencing structural decline. In 2023, sales of organic wine in France rose both in volume by 3% and value by 9%. They also increased in export markets, in volume by 9% and value by 5%.

Nevertheless, the crisis affecting wine consumption, difficulties impacting other organic product segments and a fairly bleak geopolitical, economic and social climate cause uncertainty, particularly as the extraordinary rate of conversions over the past few years has created new volumes in the market place and therefore the need for new outlets.

An exhibition catering to exhibitors

Millésime BIO, which is a non-profit associative exhibition, has “taken the current climate on board”, and decided to freeze its rates in a bid to support its exhibitors. Young businesses, either inherited or newly established, will even benefit from a boost of nearly 30%.

The organisers have decided to rein-in exhibitor numbers at 1,500 in order to preserve the balance between exhibitors and buyers. Also, the exhibition does not wish to become embroiled in a battle of figures. It prefers to guarantee its exhibitors selected and highly qualified visitor attendance, it said, with the aim that each meeting should be “useful and open up opportunities for trade”.

Optimised for visitors

Millésime BIO is also ramping up the resources designed for the 11,000 trade buyers due to attend so as to facilitate networking with exhibitors. Visitors will discover a new platform for making appointments and an optimised version of the mobile application.

The app will help them select exhibitors using a large number of filters: product categories, geographical designations, types of packaging and complementary endorsements for instance.

Visitors will also have access to an even broader choice of products with the arrival of low- and no-alcohol drinks at the fair and the return of the Beer&Bio, Cider&Bio and Spirit&Bio areas.

There will also be zones in the self-serve tasting area dedicated to bulk wines from the Occitania region, and for the first time, wines made from resistant grape varieties.

Similarly, Millésime BIO is enhancing the visibility of schemes that are complementary to organic farming. In conjunction with the Biodyvin producers’ organisation, which next year celebrates its thirtieth anniversary, the organisers are hosting an innovative corner so that all Biodyvin members can be gathered in the same hall, but without undermining appellation diversity which is the exhibition’s key trait.

Competition

Organised in conjunction with the specialist magazine Vitisbio, the Hérault chamber of agriculture and the French bird protection league LPO, the event’s competition launched in 2024 has now entered its second year.

It rewards initiatives by organic winegrowers that aim to bolster the vitality of ecosystems.

Trees, which offer habitats for wildlife–particularly beneficial fauna–create shade and cool temperatures down. They will be the main theme for 2025.

The next competition, which serves as a showcase for top-ranking organic products with some 2,000 wines and 150 beers competing, will take place on 14 and 15 January 2025.

Award-winning wines and beers selected by panels of prominent industry members will be available for free-pour tastings at the Millésime BIO Challenge Bar. In 2024, 537 wines and 42 beers won awards. Entries open on 4 November 2024.

The importance of organic

Organic wines are made using organic farming techniques. These are defined by the European organic farming regulation, a long legal text which specifies a certain number of restrictive rules compared with conventional farming, including a ban on synthetic fertilisers and pesticides but also the use of certain products or processes during winemaking.

The European Union also praises the technique, stating organic production “combines environmental and climate action practices, a high level of biodiversity, the preservation of natural resources and the application of […] standards in line with the demand of a growing number of consumers for products produced using natural substances and processes”.

In France, a 2022 report by the Court of Auditors drawing on a number of studies stated that “organic farming is the best way of ensuring a successful agro-environmental transition and encouraging (farmers) to adopt more environmentally- friendly practices”.

Argentinian Domaine Bousquet and Chilean Emiliana Dominate The Drinks Business' Green Awards

The Drinks Business annually holds a Green Awards competition and just published the shortlist of potential winner. No U.S. wineries made the shortlist, but two South American companies who produce primarily for export markets won big time. 

Congrats to Domaine Bousquet and Emiliana (Natura brand in the U.S.) for being on the shortlist for so many of the awards this year. 

• You can order Domaine Bousquet wines online (build your own box, too) or locate a story near you. (There are many.)

• You can find Natura wines on a number of delivery services on their website.

In addition to their green practices, the two companies' wines are top quality for price.

O-I: Expressions Green Company of the Year

Laithwaites

Voyager Estate

Gonzales Byass

• Domaine Bousquet

• Emiliana Organic Vineyards

Adega do Ataíde

Chivas Brothers

Amorim Biodiversity Award

• Emiliana Organic Vineyards

Te Kano Estate

Vergelegen Estate

Familia Torres

Sogrape

Amorim Sustainability Award

• Domaine Bousquet

Ferrari Trento

• Emiliana Organic Vineyards

Trivento Olianas

Casa Relvas

Vik

Best Green Launch

STONE VIK (laudable but not organic certified)

One to One by Oxford Landing

Tread Softly

World First Carbon Negative Beers Without Offsets by Gypsy Hill

• Eco Balance Organic Low Alcohol, Low Calories and Zero Sugar by Emiliana Organic Vineyards

Water Management Award

Bodega Ribera del Cuarzo

So Grape

Perelada

Encirc

Casa Relvas

Healdsburg Crush Event, Oct. 13: Taste Wines from 7 Producers with Organic Vines Who Will Be Pouring

Healdsburg Crush is this weekend. Lots to explore in one square. Here are the producers with organic vine wines-some of the best in the county.

PINOT NOIR - MENDOCINO

Domaine Anderson

From Mendocino’s cooler climate Anderson Valley, this Roederer owned estate offers top tier Pinots from its organic and biodynamic estate (Dach vineyard) vines. An all estate organic producer. Everything they make is organically grown.

PINOT NOIR - SONOMA COUNTY

DuMOL Russian River Valley, Green Valley (one vineyard in transition)

One of California’s very best Pinot houses, you will be amazed by the wines from their new estate vines, which are in transition to organic certification (after practicing organics on the estate). Uniquely, they grow their grapes at high density spacing (meter by meter spacing, requiring a lot of handwork), a technique often used in Burgundy.

Ernest Vineyards, Sonoma Coast (and Freestone-Occidental) (Only the estate vineyards are organic)

Newly certified organic on their Sonoma Coast estates. They’re advocating for a new AVA - Freestone-Occidental – to differentiate their estates area from the West Sonoma Coast or the less descriptive Sonoma Coast. Don’t miss their Sonoma estate wines. (Those are the organically grown ones). Spend more time with the wines in their tasting room, right on the Healdsburg square, to learn more.

Merry Edwards, Russian River Valley (one vineyard in transition)

Is a bolder style of Pinot Noir for you? Then try the Merry Edwards’ Meredith Pinot Noir. Edwards loved Clone 37, which produces a bigger flavor profile. Tasting room staff sometimes call it a “Pinot for Cab lovers.” 

Now owned by Roederer, the winery also makes a Dach vineyard Pinot (from Domaine Anderson’s biodynamic vines in Mendocino’s Anderson Valley).

Here are my notes from the 2021 vintage of Meredith: 

Aged in French oak (55% new). The flagship wine from a mix of clones. A bold Pinot Noir with Bing cherry on the nose and black cherry and dark chocolate on the palate. Finishes long.

(Their other vineyards are not farmed organically–only Meredith, their 20 acre flagship vineyard, for now.)

Panther Ridge, Petaluma Gap 

From a dry hilly site, Suzanne Farver, a former lawyer and an avid art collector, coaxes delicious small lots of Pinot Noir. Choose from the estate Pinot, the reserve Pinot or a rosé. 

Ram’s Gate, Carneros (estate wines only)

A third of their wines come from their 28 acres of organic estate vines–Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir. Joe Nielsen assumed the helm in 2018 and oversaw the organic conversion. The winery is owned by O’Neill, which is gravitating more of its production across its various brands to organic options. 

SPARKLING WINE

Amista Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley AVA

Look for the usual - Blanc de Blanc - and the unusual - Sparkling Syrah - from this Dry Creek producer. WinemakerAshley Herzberg and vineyard manager Paco Mendoza along with Slow Wine enthusiast estate director Brian Shapiro collaborate to create fun wines and a great atmosphere at their estate. Sparkling wines will be in demand to celebrate the upcoming holidays, spritz up a hot late summer day, or just for everyday enjoyment. 

RHONES

Amista Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley AVA

They’re not just bubbleheads at Amista - they make climate appropriate Rhones in this hot, sunny region. Look for Grenache, Mourvedre and Syrah, perfect for fall and winter pairings. All organic estate grapes.

WHITE WINES

See Ernest Vineyards and Ram’s Gate above for Chardonnay. Ram’s Gate also has Pinot Blanc.

U-Pick Pumpkin Time at Dry Creek's Preston Farm and Winery in Sonoma (You Can Get Your Winter and Holiday Wines, Too)

Gotta get a pumpkin? While it's always worth a drive to Preston Farm and Winery, an agrarian paradise and organic outpost, you probably missed the U Pick strawberries...but there's still time for pumpkins! And now cider!

They grow more than 200 crops and sell veggies, olive oil and lamb sausages at the local farmers market and their on site farm store.

 

Go for a country drive. Take the kids, the dog and leave some space in the car for their great wines, too.  

I recently visited for Slow Wine Guide USA's forthcoming 2025 guide and was reminded, yet again, what a great producer this is. When a place has a shining reputation as a farm to table winery, the quality of the wines can sometimes be overlooked. But let's let these wines speak for themselves. 

 Winemaker Grayson Hartley has really hit his stride. All of the wines were simply stunning.. 

In particular I would call your attention to the White Wine ($42), a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (50%) with northern Italian varietals Ribolla Gialla (25%), and Tocai Friulano (25%). Here are my notes: "The Sauvignon is skin fermented. On the nose, ripe apricot and pear juice with citrus and stone fruits on the palate. Complex and vibrant."

Uniquely the winery is making a Cinsaut ($40), which you don't find often. My notes: "From dry farmed vines planted in 1990. 100% whole cluster. Pressed off after a short maceration to neutral oak puncheons. A juicy go to wine with cherry pie flavors made more complex with darker fruit undertones along with herbal and savory notes in the mix. Also delicious served chilled."

Its Barbera is a standout and the Barbera Reserve ($65) is an absolute knockout. (You have to know to ask for it. Little is made.) My notes: "Foot trod and aged longer in large foudres, these special blocks produced a wine of great depth and complexity. The regular Barbera ($42), with raspberry and cherry cola on the nose and red fruits on the palate, is also excellent.

In recent years, the winery has adventurously planted Italian varieties including Barbera, Nero d'Avola, Ribolla Gialla, super rare Schioppettino (yes!), Tocai Friulano and Vermentino. And then there are the fine usual Rhone suspects–Grenache, Syrah, and, one of my faves, Mourvedre.

All definitely worth a road trip. (Or if you can't make it, you can buy wines online.)