BONTERRA ORGANIC ESTATES is an environmental powerhouse in the wine world, known for its impressive selection of red, white, and rosé varieties. The winery also has certifications for its climate-neutral status, commitment to reducing waste (according to its website, the winery diverts 98% of its refuse from landfills), and regenerative organic farming practices. Joseph Brinkley oversees the latter at Bonterra as head of regenerative organic viticulture. “It feels like a good contribution,” he says of regenerative organic farming, “not only in one’s consumers’ happiness from drinking lovely wine but also in the impact we’re having in the field and on people and communities’ lives.”
Bonterra’s impact in the field begins with the health of its soil. Brinkley thinks it’s important to note that while “you could add, say, your main nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus from a bag of synthetically derived chemistry” to the soil, “you can also, though, get these essential nutrients or this fertility from more natural kinds of processes and cycles.”
and dung. They even help handle some of the farm work. “Not only do they add fertility by metabolizing, they also take some of the work from the tractors we would be using,” Brinkley says. “So instead of using a tractor to mow and do some vine cultivation, we pass the sheep through a few times.” Compost, made from
At Bonterra, the “field” makes up a vast amount of land; the winery covers some 2,000 acres across California’s scenic Mendocino County, including about 850 acres of vineyards, including in the mountains, flatlands, and alongside a river, Brinkley says. Not all of Bonterra’s vine land is contiguous, which “really gives us versatility in what we grow,” the viticulturist says, adding that this lends complexity to the flavor of the fruit in the blending phase as well.
BONTERRA ORGANIC ESTATES HOPLAND, CALIFORNIA
grape pomace, is also added to the soil — an example of how Bonterra reduces waste and embraces a closed-loop system that’s as close to the cycle of nature as possible. Brinkley feels just as passionately about the positive impact that regenerative organic farming has on labor workers. “The Regenerative Organic Certification has a really big focus on labor, a living wage, fair and equitable treatment, fair pay and
photographs courtesy of Bonterra
Bonterra’s impact in the field begins with the health of its soil. Brinkley thinks it’s important to note that while “you could add, say, your main nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus from a bag of synthetically
compensation,” he says, adding that the goal should be that “every single person that goes to work comes home at least as good, if not better than they left.” “It’s a people-driven business,” he says. “You can’t do any of this without the people.”
derived chemistry” to the soil, “you can also, though, get these essential nutrients or this fertility from more natural kinds of processes and cycles.” Instead of using chemicals, Brinkley says, sheep add fertility to the soil by munching on the cover crop and depositing their urine
Visit BONTERRA.COM to learn more.
Top to bottom: The start of a regenerative Bonterra grape. Joseph Brinkley, head of regenerative organic viticulture. Sheep add fertility to the soil where the grapes grow.
Top to bottom: A Bonterra basket of earthly delights. The Bonterra barn that often doubles as a space for regenerative organic workshops.
92
93
ISSUE 01
TRACING THE WINE WORLD’S NEW REGENERATIVE PATH
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online