Organic Wines Uncorked: An Inspired Sonoma Valley Gathering | Organically Farmed Wines and Fan-Filled Fundraiser Fuel Pipeline for New S.O.R.B.E.T. Event at Fort Mason Nov. 8

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

An Inspired Sonoma Valley Gathering | Organically Farmed Wines and Fan-Filled Fundraiser Fuel Pipeline for New S.O.R.B.E.T. Event at Fort Mason Nov. 8

The Sonoma Valley organic producers group S.O.R.B.E.T. raised funds for its next Fort Mason event in Rossi Ranch's historic vineyard and announced the date for its 2026 Fort Mason event: Nov. 8.

SEE THIS POST WITH THE PHOTOS INCLUDED

A fundraising dinner for vintners who make wine from organically farmed grapes in Sonoma Valley took place Saturday, July 11 at the historic Rossi Ranch in Kenwood, where organic vineyard pioneer Phil Coturri celebrated the Rossi family who planted the original vines in 1910 and the Otellini family who hired him in 2012 to restore the historic vineyard.

Wine historian and vintner Morgan Twain-Peterson MW of Bedrock has inventoried every vine and varietal in these historic blocks and got his first chance to make wine from them in 2024. The Peterson family are also major historic vine preservers, preserving Bedrock Vineyard whose earliest Sonoma Valley estate vines date from the 1880s.

Sam and Twain-Peterson celebrated the Sonoma Valley for the high percentage of vines being farmed organically. (Some are certified, while others are verified with data from the Pesticide Use Report).

The event featured wines from a who’s who of celebrated historic as well as up and coming producers, including:

• Bettina Sichel of Laurel Glen (Cabernet from Sonoma Mountain)

• Reid Griggs (winemaker today at Stony Hill as well as at his own label Tidings, offering sips of his Cabernet from Moon Mountain)

• Stewart Cellars (new owners of the historic 1960s Montecillo vineyard), with a Yountville tasting room

• Twain-Peterson and Chris Cottresll (Bedrock Wine Co. and Under the Wire)

• Joel Peterson’s Once and Future label (selected organic vineyards)

• Will Bucklin’s historic Old Hill Ranch label (Bambino Zinfandel), the oldest vines in Sonoma Valley (1880’s)

The Coturri family’s own winery, Sixteen 600, brought a selection of its white and red wines from Rossi Ranch (which I have to confess are among my personal favorites).

Eight of the 42 farmed acres on the 130 acre Rossi site date from the 1910 era, growing the old field blend on immaculately farmed, head trained vines. The fruit is reserved for special clients (including the Coturri’s winery). An elite group of winemakers (including some of Napa’s most prestigious) come for that fruit.

There were also a few special sips…this was from the early Kamen years. Another bottle tasted was a 2006 Zin from Phil’s cellar.

SEE THIS POST WITH THE PHOTOS INCLUDED

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Wines We Cover

We publish information about wines grown from certified organic or Biodynamic vineyards that are generally made with sulfites (which are usually added in small amounts to preserve the wine).

That includes these certification types:

ORGANIC WINE CERTIFICATIONS

• Made with Organic Grapes

Vineyards: certified organic

Vinification: less than 100 ppm of sulfites (i.e. a normal range)

Winery: certified organic facility

Labeling: front or back label

• Ingredients: Organic Grapes

Vineyards: certified organic

Vinification: up to 350 ppm of sulfites (same as for any non organic wine)

Labeling: back label only

BIODYNAMIC® CERTIFICATIONS

• Biodynamic Wine

Vineyards: certified biodynamic

Yeasts: native

Vinification: less than 100 ppm of sulfites; no additives of any kind

Winery: certified biodynamic facility

Labeling: front or back label; Demeter logo may appear

• Made with Biodynamic Grapes

Vineyards: certified biodynamic

Yeasts: native or organic

Vinification: less than 100 ppm of sulfites; limited number of additives permitted

Winery: certified biodynamic facility

Labeling: front or back

Note: unlike organically grown wines, for which there is a category called "Ingredients: Organic Grapes," wines sourced from biodynamic grapes may not make any biodynamic claim on the bottle label. Bottle labeling is reserved for Demeter certified wines only.

SULFITES IN CONTEXT

According to U.C. Davis, the average among all wines in the U.S. (as well as globally) is 80 ppm.

WHAT THE USDA CALLS ORGANIC WINES

Unlike any other nation, the U.S. oddly imposes a no sulfite restriction on wines in order for them to be called Organic Wine. These wines are also called NSA or NAS wines (which stands for "No Sulfites Added" or "No Added Sulfites.")

From the above description, one can see that there are in fact three types of organically grown wines:

1. Organic Wine (less than 15% of all organically grown wine)

2. Made with Organic Grapes

3. Ingredients: Organic Grapes

The vast majority of wines from organic grapes are labeled Made with Organic Grapes, Ingredients: Organic Grapes or are blended with nonorganic grapes and unlabeled.

Fine winemakers do not generally make wine without sulfites and a number of large wine retailers like BevMo do not sell wine in the category of "USDA Organic Wine."

With rare exceptions, this blog does not cover what the USDA calls "Organic Wine."

We are hopeful that the USDA will revise the categorization of organically grown wines and make NSA or NAS wines a category of their own.

This would put the U.S. in accord with the rest of the world, where "Organic Wine" means a wine from certified grapes made within limits on sulfites (generally under 100-150 ppm).

Organic Wines Uncorked

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Tuesday, July 21, 2026

An Inspired Sonoma Valley Gathering | Organically Farmed Wines and Fan-Filled Fundraiser Fuel Pipeline for New S.O.R.B.E.T. Event at Fort Mason Nov. 8

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