When I moved back to my home state of California I landed in Sonoma County. I don’t think I realized at the time that I was literally surrounded by hundreds of vineyards and wineries. I had no idea just how many wineries were here. That doesn’t even take into consideration that in under an hour I can be in Napa County.
So I did what a lot of people do here. I got a job at a winery. I took people on tours, told them stories about the vineyards and poured some wine. I got to ask the winemaker a ton of questions and learn about wine in a way I never had before.
I was lucky because I landed at a vineyard that practiced regenerative farming and a winery that made low-intervention wines. Before I worked there I had no idea what those things were or why they were important. I definitely never looked for those things when I was in a store buying a bottle of wine or ordering a glass at a restaurant. Honestly, I was looking for a wine that I liked, and wasn’t too expensive, end of story.
Now as a consumer, who understands the industry a bit more, I want to know what’s actually in my wine. It seems like we want to know what’s in everything else we consume or use but somehow wine is shrouded in mystery. You might have noticed that wine labels don’t list what’s actually in the wine. In the United States there are more than 70 additives including sugar, concentrates, color and tannins that can be legally added and never mentioned. That’s on the winemaking side.
On the grape growing side I’d like to know if the vines were sprayed with pesticides (think Roundup) or herbicides. Industrial/commercial agricultural farming adds many toxins and chemicals into the waterways and soil that leave a negative impact on our environment. There’s a difference between lifeless dirt and living healthy soil. One of the biggest is that, “Soils with more organic material, like decaying leaves, dead creatures, and bits of wood, can store more carbon. This is because organic material binds loose carbon molecules easily, and the organic material itself is stored as carbon.”1
In a world where carbon is causing environmental issues like global warming I want to support farming methods that encourage healthy soil that can hold more carbon. One of the ways I can do that is highlight wineries that are doing their best to create low-intervention wines (they AREN’T adding a bunch of additives to the wine) and that are sourcing grapes that are being grown with sustainable or organic or regenerative farming practices.
Plus, I want to talk about the experience a winery or tasting room offers guests. When people visit Sonoma or Napa they are investing their time and money on wine, yes, but also the experience of sitting back in a beautiful or comfortable environment to sample wines and enjoy themselves.
My plan is to combine longer pieces (like this one) with summaries and pictures about wine, wineries, upcoming events, and places to visit in Sonoma and Napa County.
Ask questions, share your thoughts and join me on this learning adventure.