You may have heard the phrase “Great wine begins in the vineyard,” and more and more winemakers and growers are realizing this is true. Sustainable, organic, biodynamic, low intervention – all of these practices are becoming more and more common as many in the wine world turn away from the 20th-century farming philosophy of using pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer. The momentum is now moving toward regenerative agriculture – a type of farming that’s healthier for the environment, vines, grapes, and our health. They are also understanding the impact that better farming practices can have on the wine itself.
Let’s look at California for example: there are several certifications including Sustainability in Practice (SIP), California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, Demeter Biodynamic, and USDA Organic. Regenerative Organic Certified is considered the top-level certification because farms (of any type, not just wine grapes) must first be certified organic to achieve the designation.
What is Regenerative Agriculture?
One of the primary aims of regenerative agriculture is carbon sequestration or keeping carbon in the soil rather than releasing it into the atmosphere. The goal: help farmers produce more nutrient dense foods, which could improve overall human nutrition while creating a sustainable environment.
Infographic illustrating the “6 Core Principles of Regenerative Agriculture” by AgriCaptureCO2.
- Understand Context: No two farms are alike, so this means the program is site specific to each farm scenario. Understanding the context of your farm means regenerative agriculture can be implemented in line with individual farm operations. No two farms are alike.
- Minimize Soil Disturbance: Improving and regenerating soils means understanding and applying the principle of reduced soil disturbance is essential. There are three types: physical, chemical and biological.
- Maximize Crop Diversity: Biodiversity enhances ecosystem function because different species perform slightly different roles. This includes rotating crops or using cover crops.
- Maintain Living Roots: Maintaining living roots within the soil retains nutrients, improves plant growth and microbe biodiversity. Living plants photosynthesize energy from the sun into chemically bound energy which is then transferred into plant root systems and the soil ecosystem. When soil does not contain living roots, it continues to metabolize organic matter releasing carbon as CO2, which then passes into the atmosphere.
- Integrate Livestock: This entail responsibly grazing livestock to spread organic matter and increase nutrient cycling and plant growth. Although for some farms the integration of livestock is not possible, this principle can still be accomplished through the use of manure and slurry as an inorganic source of nutrients.
Infographic illustrating “Maintain Healthy Roots”, the 5th Principle of Regenerative Agriculture, by AgriCaptureCO2.
Why Regenerative Organic Agriculture?
Moving from organic to regenerative organic farming further enhances the ecosystem, develops better balance of the vines, and ultimately, elevate wine quality.
According to the Regenerative Organic Alliance:
“Growing food and fiber through industrial methods has devastated our soil and climate. Forecasts have predicted that global topsoils will deplete in 60 years at our current rate, while studies have proven that conventional, industrial agriculture contributes up to 25% of the emissions driving the climate crisis. With regenerative organic agriculture, we can rehabilitate soil, respect animal welfare, and improve the lives of farmers. We can sequester carbon, build healthier communities, and reap more nutritious and abundant yields.”
Certification
Producers can seek to obtain official certification – Regenerative Organic Certified (“ROC”) – from the Regenerative Organic Alliance (“ROA”).
The ROA was established in 2017 by a group of farmers, business leaders, and experts in soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness. The certification ensures compliance with both organic and regenerative standards and includes strict controls on inputs, animal welfare, and fair labor practices. I was thrilled to see that labor standards were included in this certification.
The ROA requires a system to consider all players in the farm system — from the soil microbiome to the animals to the workers. For them, farmers are the stewards of our lands, and with the organic power of regenerative agriculture, can completely change the direction of our future.
Tablas Creek Vineyard, the world’s first Regenerative Organic Certified Vineyard, integrates livestock into their grape farming practices.
Trailblazer: Tablas Creek Winery, Paso Robles, California
Tablas Creek was the very first vineyard in the world to obtain ROC. For them, regenerative agriculture has the possibility to be part of the solution to addressing climate and resource issues. At the forefront of sustainability, Tablas Creek has focused on maintaining soil health, biodiversity, and ecological balance, with practices such as composting, cover cropping, and the use of sheep for weed control and fertilization.
A partnership between the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel and the Haas family of Vineyard Brands, Tablas Creek was founded in 1989 in Paso Robles. Pioneers of the California Rhône movement, they chose Paso Robles to plant their vines due to the fact that the climate there was conducive to Rhône varietals – Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Roussanne. The vineyard was planted with cuttings imported directly from Château de Beaucastel and has been organic since the very beginning, followed by the implementation of biodynamic practices in 2010 and obtaining ROC status in 2020.
At this point there are 15 ROC wineries in the world, but that number is expected to increase over time. The process can be slow because of the time involved for the conversion to organic that is first required. Two of Tablas Creek’s neighbors, Booker Wines and Villa Creek, have also achieved ROC, while a third, Robert Hall Winery, has completed the three-year conversion process and expects to receive certification this spring 2025.
More Articles About Sustainable Wine
- Sustainable Wine with Sandra Taylor: Regenerative Organic Agriculture
- 2024 Top Wine Trends: What’s In and What’s Out
- Talking Sustainable Wines with Sandra Taylor: Why Packaging Matters
- Talking Sustainable Wine with Martin Reyes, MW
- Natural, Sustainable, Organic, Biodynamic – What does it really mean?
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