Julie Johnson of Tres Sabores discusses her Estate Zinfandel.

Mike Benizger explains biodynamic preprations.

Phil Coturri at Kamen Estate Wines. This series of videos is brought to us by Deborah Gavito of Counter Restaurant.

Mark Beaman of Paul Dolan Vineyards goes over the biodynamic cow horn preperation. This series of videos is brought to us by Deborah Gavito of Counter Restaurant.

Mike Benziger shows the water recycling system at Benziger Winery. This series of videos is brought to us by Deborah Gavito of Counter Restaurant.

Compost is made up of organic matter such as animal manure, grape pomace, and other organic materials. A wine grower spends an entire year preparing a compost pile. They each have a particular method for preparing their compost, employing unique recipes using special ingredients that provide the right nutrients for their vineyard. Compost is filled with microorganisms that stimulate plant growth, making the vineyard healthy and disease resistant. Microorganisms eat organic materials and digest minerals that pass through their system. Mike Benziger, of Benziger Winery in Sonoma Valley, describes the process as “a huge food factory that provides a gourmet feast for plants.”

Bob Cannard, who has been providing Chez Pannise with vegetables for the past 25 years and who is the vineyard manager for Cline Cellars in Sonoma, brews huge vats of compost tea. Instead of making a rich and delicious stock for human consumption, he makes a nutritious vegetable stock for his farm and vineyards. He also spreads finely ground minerals, such as silica and limestone, throughout his vineyards depending on the needs of each particular site.

In organic vineyards, leguminous cover crops are grown in rows between the vines. These cover crops not only attract beneficial insects, which attack bad insects, but they provide nutrients to the grapevines.

Non-organic vineyards are barren and devoid of life. Organic and biodynamic vineyards are buzzing with activity, ranging from the visible to the microscopic. At a glance one sees insects, bees, birds, chickens, sheep, cows, and the variety of plants needed to attract and sustain them. In the microscopic world of the soil, microorganisms help decompose organic matter, releasing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which are then taken up by the plant as nutrients.

I hope this explains a little bit about organic and biodynamic viticulture. I have the greatest respect for winegrowers and workers that tend organic and biodynamic vineyards, all of whom are sensitive to the life forces in the vineyard – the best of which can capture it in a bottle.

Richard Sanford of Alma Rosa Winery gives a tour of his plan room. This series of videos is brought to us by Deborah Gavito of Counter Restaurant.

Alan York discusses the fourth principle of biodynamics: creating a holistic system. This series of videos is brought to us by Deborah Gavito of Counter Restaurant.

Alan York discusses the third principle of biodynamics: the use of biodynamic preperations. This series of videos is brought to us by Deborah Gavito of Counter Restaurant.

After serving in the Vietnam War Richard Sanford decided to farm grapes, make wine, and as he put it, “reconnect with something more natural than the war experience”. Richard loved and appreciated Burgundy style wines, Pinot Noir in particular. Using his knowledge as a geography graduate from UC Berkeley, Richard researched California climate records dating back to the 1900’s. He discovered that the climate of a particular part of the Santa Rita Hills, the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County, was similar to that of Burgundy. There, a transverse mountain range runs east to west which, moderates an otherwise scorching climate with cool ocean breezes. Along with a partner he raised money to purchase land there and the new venture was named Sanford & Benedict Winery.

Richard was the first serious winegrower, and the first to plant Pinot Noir grapes, in Santa Barbara County. He had the fortitude to plant a vineyard from scratch in an area that no one believed quality grapevines could grow, especially the finicky Pinot Noir. He had the patience to tend and nurture his vineyard for five long years before the first bottle of Pinot Noir was released to acclaim.

Richard met Thekla Brumder in 1976; they married and together started Sanford Winery in 1981. With Thekla’s encouragement to eschew synthetic chemicals, herbicides and pesticides, they planted their first 100% organic vineyard in 1983. The first certified organic vineyards in Santa Barbara County were Sanford estate vineyards.

Richard lived without electricity for the first eight-years as a winegrower and made his famed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines in a small rented building. In an effort to grow Sanford Winery, Richard and Thekla brought in investors and built a state-of-the-art winery designed with all consideration to sustainability. When they were forced by investors to scale back on sustainability and organics, Richard and Thekla left Sanford Winery and started anew.

Once again the Sanfords are producing some of the finest Burgundy style Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at their new Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards, also located in the Santa Ynez Valley. Instead of scaling away from a sustainable future their new business embraces their core values more than ever. In Spanish Alma means soul. Alma Rosa is an expression of the soul of their vineyards. According to Thekla, “the future for us is to build on what we’ve learned. Through the years we’ve tried to do everything in a green way and will continue working toward a business which is greener and more sustainable. This new venture is an opportunity for us to become even more committed to the environment and to share what we’ve learned with others.”

Deborah Gavito is the owner of Counter Restaurant and Organic Wine Bar in NYC.