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Festive libations for the holidays
This 2007 Kathryn Kennedy Estate Cabernet wears the label “made with organically grown grapes”
Photographs by Lane Johnson
At holiday time, tradition dictates that we pair an elaborate meal with a special glass of wine or beer. But to make our celebrations even more meaningful, what if we chose to buy and drink only beverages made with organic ingredients or produced by sustainable farming practices?
For people in the business of wine and beer production, the motivation to go organic is often more about personal values than making a profit. Daniel Del Grande, owner and brewer of Bison Brewing in Berkeley, says, “When I first heard that there was organic grain available for making beer, I thought, ‘Well, that’s a no-brainer.’ I go to the farmers’ market every Sunday to buy mostly organic vegetables. Why aren’t my business values equal to my personal values?”
Following his heart and his palate, in 2002 Del Grande made the switch to using organic hops in Bison’s beer. Del Grande says that if consumers buy organic beer, then he places more orders to the farmers for organic hops, and the farmers are encouraged to grow organically. In this way, each purchase of organic beer supports organic farming.
Another well-known local organic beer brewer is Emily Thomas, who with her husband co-owns Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing in Santa Cruz. “It’s always been important in my family to eat organic foods and support organic farming. It was the way I was raised. So when we started brewing, my husband and I always used organic materials and ingredients,” says Thomas.
She adds that the hops used to make beer are one of the most pesticide-ridden of all crops. Getting access to a consistent supply of organic hops can be difficult, but, Thomas says, “We like the challenge.”
Some winemakers also see the value in organic farming practices. Kathryn Kennedy Estate Vineyard in Saratoga was recently awarded “certified organic” status. Marty Mathis, winemaker and owner, says, “Part of adopting organic viticulture practices is to adopt other organic techniques, like composting, biodiversity, and integrated pest management. Those practices that we’ve implemented over the last five years are starting to show noticeable differences in the vineyard.”
One of the most significant measures Mathis has enacted is using natural predators instead of pesticides to maintain vine health. An insect known as a sharpshooter, which can destroy grapevines, is a constant threat to grape growers. Mathis has installed bird boxes to attract blue-green swallows, which feed on sharpshooters.
“Those birds do nothing all day but fly around eating bugs,” Mathis says.
Mathis points out that organic wines fall into two distinct categories: organic wine and wine labeled as “wine made with organic grapes.” The distinction that separates the two is sulfites. Sulfites preserve wine and allow it to mature over time, deepening the flavor. Most sulfite-free wines have a shelf life of only about two years.
“Because we use sulfites, we fall into the ‘made with organic grapes’ labeling category,” Mathis says.
For winemakers, finding the proper organic grapes can be challenging. There is often a delay between supply and demand, Mathis says. “It’s hard to find organic grapes with the specific appellations and specific varieties that you’re looking for, but the number of growers is increasing every year… There’s a little bit of a bottleneck, though, because winery production facilities also have to be certified organic.”
Jerold O’Brien, owner and winemaker of Silver Mountain Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains, agrees with the concept of combining organic grapes with sulfites to create dynamically evolving wine.
“We make wines from organically grown grapes. We do not believe in making wines without sulfur that will die in two years. And when I say die, I mean it will spoil. The consumer is not going to enjoy it at all,” O’Brien says.
O’Brien started his first winery in 1979, but then on October 17, 1989, his wine barrels and entire winery facility came tumbling down during the Loma Prieta earthquake. It took him nearly 16 years to rebuild, but the result is a masterpiece of green building practices.
A cave-like overhang, which he calls the “green canopy,” covers his winemaking facility. The canopy serves as a massive cooling cover for the machinery beneath it. It also hosts the largest array of solar panels in the Santa Cruz Mountains: 264 solar panels that generate up to 46 kilowatts of electricity daily. Because the facility is constructed on three levels, many of the processes work via gravity.
“Once I decided to return to the wine business, I decided to build a facility that people would never forget,” O’Brien says. “A big philosophy of my life is doing things in harmony with Mother Nature.”
