Daily Reminder

What I have to remind myself every day.

Wine Going Green

Every Saturday, a white-nine passenger Mercedes Benz Sprinter Van pulls up to two or three houses in the Santa Barbara area. The logo “Sustainable Vine Tour” is painted across the front. Upon arriving at the correct addresses, Bryan Hope gets out the van, takes off his aviator sunglasses and greets his customers. His mission is to educate guests on the practice of sustainable wine making. “About 50 percent of people come on the tour for the sustainable part,” Hope said while merging onto the 101 North. “The others just come because they have read good reviews and want to have a good time. I hope to educate those people on the tour who don’t know much about sustainable wine.” A common element found in the sustainable wine industry is passion. “People go into wine making for the passion, not to make money,” said Hope. “But those who have the passion tend to produce better wines.” Those who produce sustainable wine tend to choose this method because they believe in its health and environmental benefits. Those who produce sustainable wines, also tend to go green in other aspects of their life, such as recycling, using energy efficient cars and solar panels. Sustainable wine falls into three categories: wine that is made from organically grown grapes, wine that is made from grapes grown biodynamically or organic wine. California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) defines organic wine as wine without added sulfites and from grapes that have been grown without artificial fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or synthetic chemicals. Wine made from organically grown grapes must also be grown with the same method as organic wine, but may contain 100 ppm of added sulfites. Traditional wine can have 300 ppm of added sulfites. Wine makers who use biodynamic methods follow a lunar calendar and perform certain tasks with the soil to help grow grapes. When Hope started the tour in 2007, only four wineries in the area were using sustainable methods. Today that number has increased to 14. EcoVine, a wine store that only sells sustainable wine in Santa Barbara, also believes the trend of sustainable wine making is growing. When the wine store opened in 1998, there were only 50 varieties of sustainable wine available. Today, the store carries over 300 wines. According to the Wine Institute, the voice for California wine, 56 wineries and 178 vineyards are Certified California Sustainable Wine Growing Participants as of October 2012. Hope estimates that 10 –15 percent of wineries in California use sustainable methods and predicts that number will continue to grow as people become more conscious of what they put into their bodies. Susan, tasting room manager at Alma Rosa, an organic vineyard and winery in Santa Barbara, both eats and drinks organically. “Everything in my life is organic,” she said. There is no big taste difference between sustainable and traditional wines. “It is just like the difference between organic and non-organic food,” said Susan. “The difference is in health.” Sustainable wines are healthier because they are made without chemicals and many people are allergic to the chemicals commonly found in traditional wines. Some also believe that the sulfites in wine cause headaches, but according to the EcoVine Wine in Santa Barbara, this is not the case. An estimated 0.4 percent of the U.S population is allergic to sulfite. And according to Hope, a glass of orange juice has more sulfite then a traditional bottle of wine. Hope drives his energy efficient van through a windy path along the California Coast on a sunny March afternoon. He comes across a black gate, presses a four digit code and continues through Foxen Canyon, a trail of Santa Barbara wineries, until he reaches Demetria Estate. Demetria rests at an evaluation of 38 feet and has 213 acres of rolling hills overlooking the canyon Hope just drove through. The yellow Tuscan style tasting room with wooden roofs and a light brown door sits beside an outdoor patio lined with wooden tables and black chairs. The building has an historic look and is surrounded by lush trees, shrubs and flowers, giving the winery an Italian feel. The patio provides a view of the vineyards, green bushes and lush grass. Two dogs chase each other in the distance as guests sit on the patio listening to the winery’s guitar player and sipping the wine that Demetria produces. The estate is most known for its Burgundian varietals and Rhone style blends. Demetria was named after founder’s John Zahoudanis daughter. The name is especially fitting because it also means Goddess of Harvest in Ancient Greek. Demetria opened in 2005 and the estate was forced to become appointment only due to the high demand of people wanting to taste their wines. Demetria produces its wines both organically and biodynamically. The biodynamic calendar is divided into four days: root day, leaf day, flower day and fruit day. Each day instructs the farmer/wine maker on what task should be performed to produce the highest quality product. On root days, farmers and wine makers can expect good yields and storage quality from plants such as radishes, beets and potatoes. On leaf days, it is optimal for sowing and tending leafy green plants like lettuce and spinach. Flower days are best for sowing and tending to flower plants and cultivating oil-bearing plants. Fruit days are ideal for harvesting fruit bearing plants and sowing oil-bearing plants. Fruit and flower days are also the best days for drinking wine. The biodynamic method came from a series of lectures by Austrian philosopher–scientist, Rudolf Steiner in 1924. Steiner wanted to bridge the gap between the material and spiritual worlds. Instead of chemicals, Steiner argued that the farmers should use preparations to grow the grapes. Some of preparations include filling cow horns with silica or cow manure to spray the vines. Other practices include the use of chamomile, horse tails or nettles. Most of these practices are unknown to the wine drinkers. They just tend to drink what tastes good, which sometimes happens to be biodynamic wine. “Demetria is not certified biodymanically,” Hope said. “And they probably never will be. They just use the method because they believe it produces quality wine.” “We farm biodynamically because my family is into sustainable wine, said Alexis Zahoundanis, son of winery owner John Zahoudanis “It is also better for the environment and produces high quality fruit,” Alexis said pouring some Syrah into a nearby customer’s glass. “And it is easier to make wine from good fruit.” The estate is busy and full of people on a sunny March afternoon. Alexis walks around the patio, pouring tastes of wine for all the customers. He wears a flannel shirt with blue jeans and flip-flops; his long black hair is pulled back in a ponytail. He smiles as he walks around the patio, happily chatting with all the wine tasters and answering their questions. “The vineyards speak to us, Alexis said. “We spray vineyards with cow manure from cow horns and we also use nettles and chamomile prep to smooth vines and get rid of pests.” Some do not believe in practices of biodynamic wine. Dr. Lapsley, Associate Professor Department of Viticulture and Enology who teaches the economics and history of wine making at UC Davis, doesn’t believe the spiritual remedies of biodynamic agriculture make wine better. “It is almost like witchcraft,” Dr. Lapsley said. “There is no scientific basis for this method. Biodynamic wines probably taste better because the farmers and wine makers pay closer attention to the soil.” Despite whether the methods actually produce a high quality wine or not, Demetria sells an average of 5,000 cases a year; this past year they sold closer to 7,000 cases. Just a little ways down the road from Demetria lays Martian Ranch and Vineyard, a brand new organic winery. Martian’s wines are only available for purchase online; however once the tasting room opens at the end of March, wine tasters will be able to purchase wine on the property. Martian only ships using recyclable packaging and can only send out wine in bundles of 3, 6 and twelve. Martian gets its name from the winery owner, Nan Helgeland’s, two sons, Martin and Ian and is the only winery in the Santa Barbara area to produce wine without added sulfites, which is classified as organic wine. Mike Roth, wine maker at Martian winery, always thought that he wanted to a chef. “Food was my happy place,” Roth said. “I like playing with taste sensations.” After graduating from Fresno State, Roth worked in the restaurant business and become interested in wine. “I realized that I could also play with tastes sensations with wine,” said Roth. “And it gives you a buzz.” Roth has been making wine since 1996. He makes three types of wine: organic, wine made from organically grown grapes, and wine made biodynamically. Roth chooses to make wine with and without added sulfites because he believes it is healthier than traditional wines. “People are more conscious of what they consume, as am I.” said Roth, “It’s more important that I make something that I am comfortable putting into my body.” This wine technique is not only healthier for the person drinking it, but for the environment as well. Roth chooses to use organic and biodynamic farming methods because he feels they are better for the environment. “Biodynamic goes beyond organic practices, it is about making a healthy vineyard, fighting off disease by not using artificial fertilizer and making a wine you are proud of.” Roth enjoys mixing methods and ingredients to produce grapes. “Wine making is a craft,” Roth said while swinging a wine opener in between his fingers. To go with the name Martian, Roth picks unique out-of –this-world names for his wine. He produces seven wines and each name involves space; UFOIC, Mother Ship, Down to Earth, Ground Control, Red Shift, Local Group and Paralax. “The owner and I just liked the sound of those names,” said Roth when asked how he picked the names for the bottles. On a Saturday afternoon in March 2013, Roth walks around the cellar with a stem-less wine glass in this own hand. He tastes each of his wines twice, once from the oak barrel and once more from the bottle. “This one is funky,” he said, taking a taste of Mother Ship, a Grenache Blanc made without added sulfites. “Funky, but good.” Organic and sustainable wineries are not only in the Santa Barbara area, the practice is also found across California. Jerold O’Brien, owner and winemaker at Silver Mountain in Santa Cruz, makes his wine from organically grown grapes growing in his front yard. While preparing for the next tasting on the upcoming Saturday, O’Brien carefully sorts through boxes of wine and pulls out one of his favorite wines– a Pinot Nior with a picture of his dog, Spencer, on the front. “Having cute labels help sell wine,” said O’Brien. He places the wine bottle on the table, sits back down in the tasting room and places his feet on the chair in front of him. His tall socks rise high above his white tennis shoes and meet the edge of his blue jeans. He begins to pet Spencer’s black and white fur while sunlight beams in from the window and touches O’Brien’s white hair. “I like living my life in harmony with Mother Nature,” O’Brien said. “My religion is based on respect of Mother Nature.” O’Brien started to grow the grapes according to his personal philosophy, one closely associated with Mother Nature. He does not add fertilizers or chemicals to his vines and only uses natural ingredients, such as orange oil, which helps fight terminates and naturally kills insects and fungus. O’Brien was just growing grapes and making wine the way he wanted. It wasn’t until Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 that he learned he was using organic methods to produce wine. Investigators had come to check on his solar structures after the earthquake and told O’Brien that his methods qualified as organic under the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). O’Brien looked into it and had CCOF come to the winery to investigate. After two days, the CCOF made O’Brien’s Silver Mountain Winery the first certified organic winery in Santa Cruz County. O’Brien focuses on four types of wine: Chardonnay (which is grown in his vineyards), Syrah, Pinor Noir and an Alloy, a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. O’Brien became interested in wine after enlisting in the Air Force at the age of 19. Every Friday night, O’Brien would meet his peers and talk over drinks. While his peers would drink beer and spirits, O’Brien found he preferred the taste of wine. “The more I tasted, the more I wanted to know, particularly about the wines. Why were they different? What was it about the soil, climate, grape variety and winemaking practices that produced the unique qualities of various wines?” After his training, O’Brien requested to be stationed in San Francisco so he could be closer to wineries and learn more about wine. He even worked part time at Chalone and Joseph Swan in Napa Valley. In 1973, O’Brien retired from the Air Force and bought the estate in Santa Cruz Mountains where he still lives today. O’Brien lives in a blue two-story home with a white roof. Vines guarded by a brown fence sit across from his blue home. A Triple Green Solar Canopy, which provides shade, collects rainwater and generates enough energy to operate both the winery and O’Brien’s home, sits behind the house. Next to the Solar Canopy lie the oak barrels and steel tanks that store the wine that Jerold O’Brien makes from the grapes growing in this front yard. Brien rarely leaves his home overlooking Monterrey Bay. “I am forced to visit the city to shop sometimes, but I try to avoid it as much as possible.” Oak barrels and steel tanks produce different flavors in wine and the decision to use one or the other comes from the preference of the wine maker. Though steel tanks are cheaper, O’Brien prefers the taste of wines stored in oak barrels. With oak barrels, flavors are imported from the wood. “Wines stored in oak barrels create more realistic flavors,” O’Brien said. “Stainless steel tanks do nothing for flavors unless you add some.” “I’m a firm believer that people who work in mountains have a different philosophy than those that work in the valley,” said O’Brien. “That’s why I wanted to have mountains in the title.” The silver comes from the trades O’Brien used to buy the land for his vineyard from when he was involved in commodity futures trading during the 1970s. One problem with organic methods is fighting off predators. Since organic farmers cannot use pesticides to fight off predators, winemakers need to come up with alternative methods to get rid of them. When O’Brien first opened his winery, gophers would eat the grapes and chew on the vines. O’Brien set up traps to capture and kill the gophers organically. In the morning, O’Brien takes the captured gophers, places them in the fridge and later in the afternoon sets them on plate for Spencer. Spencer rapidly chows down on the gophers and when he is finished, he looks up at O’Brien with his big blue eyes, asking for more. Organic wines often get a bad reputation from wine store owners. According to O’Brien, wines made from organically grown grapes and traditional wines last longer than organic wines. Ken Chalmers, owner of Bird Rock Fine Wine in La Jolla, California, sells wine made from organically grown grapes, but does not carry organic wine. He says that since organic wines only have about 10 ppm of naturally occurring sulfites, they are harder to store. It only has a shelf-life of about sixth months and need to be stored at 59 Fahrenheit, which makes it difficult for wine store owners to sell it. “In California, most wines are sold by the winery to a distributor then a retailer,” said Chalmers. “By the time the (organic) wine gets to the consumer, it is probably bad.” Generally people do not know much about organic wine and tend not seek it; they just want wine that tastes good. “I have sold wine here (La Jolla) and in the Bay Area for seven years and have only been asked about organic wine about ten times. Most people just want good wine to drink,” said Chalmers. “Wine makers who farm organically or biodynamically probably take more care in what they do, so their wines may be better.” However, Vicki from EcoVine says that there are people who seek sustainable wine. Most of the customers who come into the shop are interested in their health and protecting the environment. When Hope started the wine tour, he had very little experience with wine, but he always had a passion for “going green.” He started off in a business selling green building materials and even advocated to get healthy foods in vending machines. “I am very conscious about what I put into my body,” Hope said. As he learned more about how wine can made sustainability, he became intrigued and wanted to learn more. He made some contacts, started the tour and spreading knowledge of sustainable wine making. He hopes to continue to teach wine drinkers about sustainable wine and the health and environmental benefits associated with the practice. Wine makers, who produce using sustainable methods, pay more attention to the soil, the ingredients and the type of barrel to store the wine. They are also often conscious about what they put into their bodies and extend that practice to their wine making. They only add the finest ingredients and do not use chemicals in the growing of their vines. As a result, they have created a wine that is not only healthier and better for the environment, but a heart-felt product that is full of character. And that is what makes their wine unique and keeps people craving more.