Organic & Biodynamic

---

• Could Lodi Growers Double Their Income by Going Certified Organic? Giant Vino Farms Is Proving That It Can. Will Other Growers Follow?

For a 20 percent increase in farming costs, Vino Farms said buyers, large and small, are clamoring for certified regenerative organic grapes and paying double or more above the going rate compared to conventional grapes. 

• Coffee, Collaboration and Community: Oregon Grower Group and Grand Cru Vintners Launch First Organically Grown Wine Conference

A new generation of Oregon winegrowers is spawning a grassroots, community oriented organic winegrowing movement, making a big splash.

• New Wine Market Council Studies Dive into Consumer Preference on Greener Wines

Findings: 58% to 61% of younger consumers (20 to 40) prefer sustainable, family-owned or organically grown wines.

• The Great Data Debate: Does It Pay to Farm Organically?

Napa Green’s event brought together an impressive array of vineyard managers and vintners from major brands to talk about the economic facts of growing organic vines.

• The Messy World of Defining "Regenerative"

CDFA defines it for grant criteria, stirring up a hornet's nest, while early adopter wineries embark on marketplace certifications and labeling.

• Secrets of the Soil: Can a New Regenerative Viticulture Study Reveal How Cultural Practices Affect Soil Microbial Behavior?

A new, large scale, multi year study is poised to collect an extensive and comprehensive set of data on the impact of combined regenerative practices. 

• Can Regenerative Organic Farming Pencil Out? Study Provides State-of-the-Art Data and Demonstrates Dramatic Improvements in Wine Quality

The results show a dramatic difference in water retention, soil respiration, soil carbon, wine quality and yields.

• Winery Feature: Scheid Family Wines

Jack of All Trades Scheid Family Wines hits sweet spot with Its own no-sugar, low-alcohol brand.

• With Priests and Politicians: World Famous Napa Power Couple Tatjana and Mike Grgich Memorialized

Attendees celebrated the story of the rags to riches, Croatian born couple Tatjana and Mike Grgich (who died in 2020 and 2023 respectively) at their memorial.

• Winery Feature: Tres Sabores Farm-to-Table Napa Winery Is a Hit with Tourists

Sheep, olive oil, wine and a casual vibe plus stunning biodiversity make this a standout in Napa.

• Winery Feature: V. Sattui Winery–Tom Davies and Dario Sattui Decarbonize and Go Organic

Leading Napa winery business takes effective action on climate change.

• Jackson Family Wines Joins Napa's Organic Wave

Family owned winery converts all of its 480 acres of Napa vines, many in the mountains, to organic certification, a goal set by its acclaimed head winemaker Chris Carpenter.

• The Biopesticide Revolution

Opportunity Knocks for Growers and Investors An Interview with Innovator Pam Marrone.

• Hawk and Horse Vineyards Combines Unique Traditions with Biodynamic Farming

A unique Lake County winery with ranching, biodynamic farming and Lake County diamonds.

• The French Connection: Vineyards and Biodiversity Conference in Avignon Yields Insights on Resilience

In Avignon, attendees heard from international luminaries including soil microbiota expert Prof. Marc-André Selosse, a well known presenter on the international healthy soils conference trail, and celebrated permaculture and agroecology expert Alain Malard.

• Organic Farming Costs: Craig Ledbetter Offers Insight Into Fertilizers, IPM and Clients Who Prefer Handpicking

Does it cost more to farm organically? Yes. But it can be profitable

• Craig Ledbetter of Lodi's Vino Farms Bullish on Organic

“We're doing organic because I see an opportunity, and the writing on the wall is there," Ledbetter said.

• California's Organic Wave: Wine Grape Acreage Increases By 1,774 Acres in Last 12 Months

Four properties with a total of 1,370 acres or 77 percent of the new acres are a mix of family owned (Jackson, Halter Ranch, Stolpman) as well as big corporations (Constellation)

• Organic Matters

What separates organically grown wines from conventional and sustainable–chemicals. An organic explainer.

--Full Pour magazine (print)

• Hawk and Horse Vineyards Combines Unique Traditions with Biodynamic Farming

A unique Lake County winery with ranching, biodynamic farming and Lake County diamonds.

--Grape and Wine magazine (print + online)

• How a Salad Bar Disaster Changed the Course of U.S. Wine History

The history of America's weird no added sulfite organic wine laws revealed at last

--Pix.com 

• Going Green 

What makes eco-certified wines unique: explainer

--Voices/Maze Row Merchant (print + online)

• Bordeaux's Ecological Push

More than 300 wineries are converting to organic certification

--Voices/Maze Row Merchant (print + online)

• Why Organic Winegrowing Can Be More Profitable Than Conventional

Site, skill, quality and markets make the difference 

--Daily Seven Fifty

• "He Had Insane Trust": Paul Dolan's Celebration of Life Sendoff in Mendocino

Wine greats, members of the winemaking community and friends and family gathered Friday, August 4 at Dark Horse Vineyard 

• Biodynamic Viticulture Class in Napa Features Italian Allstars

Biodynamics may be among the most misunderstood terms in the wine industry but not any more.

• In Memoriam: Organic and Biodynamic Pioneer Paul Dolan, "Ahead of the Curve"

"He was a leader in the whole process of scaling up organic and biodynamic agriculture and regenerative organic.”

• Celebrate Life: The Wines and the People at Miljenko Grgich's 100th Birthday Celebration

Rare historic wines, pivotal moments and family and friends - Croatian born Mike Grgich’s 100 year long life were celebrated in two days of festivities earlier this month, with luminaries and friends from far and wide that illustrated the arc of his career beginning with his arrival in the valley in 1958.

• Sonoma Valley's Rossi Ranch Acclaimed as To Kalon for Grenache

An old vine vineyard planted in 1910 finds new life in Rhone varieties sought after by 100 point winemakers from Napa

• California Pesticide Regulators Set a New Course to Reduce Toxic Chemicals

Top agencies signal an agro-ecological shift and softer materials may lie ahead

• From E. & J. Gallo to Whole Foods and Napa: Brands Are Increasingly Going Organic

Black Box to test organic, Central Coast expands organic acreage, and Napa's organic estates double in number in 6 years

• French Wine Critics Rate Organic and Biodynamic Wines 6-12 Points Higher in Scores Compared to Conventional or Sustainable Wines, Wine Economists Find

A study of 128,000 wines over 20 years brings insights; wine economists say better farming correlates with better scores

WINES AND VINES

• What It Costs to be Certified Organic | 2017

• The Organic Opportunity: Will the U.S. Miss Out? (op-ed) | 2018