More and more wineries these days are embracing “Green” practices, such as organic farming, sustainability, solar power, waste reduction and water conservation. These practices are not only good for the environment, but they also produce some fantastic wines.
Organic farming means that the vineyards are farmed without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. To produce organic wine, a winery must produce the wine from organic vineyards and not add any sulfites to the wine. Very few wineries produce organic wine because of the need to add sulfites as a preservative.
As a result, there are many wineries that practice organic or biodynamic farming to some degree but not to the extent to be “Certified Organic.” In order to be certified, a winery must be inspected and pass all of the very strict regulations required by the California Certified Organic Farmers and be inspected annually.
So while there are many wineries in Northern California practice organic farming, not all become certified. Here’s a partial list of wineries that practice some degree of sustainable, biodynamic or organic farming, and produce some very tasty wines. They range from fully certified organic farming to those that produce one varietal of wine from an organic vineyard.
Check them out, and let us know if you’re interested in visiting an organic winery as part of an upcoming Platypus Private Wine Tour or Join-In Wine Tour!
• Benziger Family Winery – www.benziger.com
• Casa Nuestra – www.casanuestra.com
• Frog’s Leap – www.frogsleap.com
• Grgich Hills Estate – www.grgich.com
• Peju Province Winery – www.peju.com
• Rutherford Wine Company – www.rutherfordwine.com
• Robert Sinskey Vineyards – www.robertsinskey.com
• Rutherford Ranch Winery – www.rutherfordwine.com/rutherford-ranch-winery
• Staglin Family Vineyard – www.staglinfamily.com
• Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery – www.spottswoode.com
Organic wineries are good and good for you!
