Organic
Winemaking, Northwest Style
Courtesy of Wines
Northwest
Story by Lisa
Anderson
Photos provided by: Lopez
Island Vineyards, Summerhill
Estate Winery, Chateau
Lorane, China
Bend, Badger
Mountain
It wasn’t so long ago that organic wines
carried with them the reputation of tasting awful. When wine
consumers wanted to choose a more natural product, they often
sacrificed taste and quality. But things have changed, say
winemakers across the Pacific Northwest, and their wines support
their claim.
“It’s different today,” explains Linde Kester, winemaker
and owner of Chateau
Lorane in Oregon’s southern
Willamette Valley. “The wines are better, and the proof is
in the taste.”
Kester was initially skeptical about making wines with
organically grown grapes; he was well aware of their poor
reputation in the past. Ironically, it was the high quality of one
particular wine made from organic grapes that removed Kester’s
doubts.
When Kester opened Chateau Lorane in 1991, he looked forward to
experimenting with lesser-known grape varietals.
 In
his search for a vineyard growing marechal foch, he found Ephillon
Vineyard near Oregon City. Using grapes from Ephillon’s 1992
vintage, Kester produced his first marechal foch wine, and was
extremely pleased with the wine’s high quality.
When Kester learned the grapes he was buying from Ephillon were
organically grown, he realized there was something special about
the way the vineyard did things; and the “something special”
translated into good wine: “These organic grapes are just
wonderful,” he says.
Today, Kester says the label on the bottle, “grown with
organic grapes,” ignites the curiosity of his customers.
“As soon as people see the label, they want to know more
about it.” Kester believes there are two primary reasons people
choose an organic wine (wines made with organic grapes) over that
of the competition.
“First, it’s the philosophy,” he explains. “They like
the fact that these grapes were grown responsibly, without the use
of pesticides or insecticides. Everything that had to do with the
growing of the grapes is natural. Second, it’s all the extra
care that goes into growing the grapes. Because of this extra
care, organic growing makes better grapes, and better grapes make
better wine.”
Chateau Lorane today includes in its large selection of wines several
made from 100% organically grown grapes, including traditional
varietals such as chardonnay, pinot gris and pinot noir, as well
as lesser-known varietals such as marechal foch and cascade.
Chateau Lorane is not alone in its desire to produce wines
using more natural methods. A small number of other Northwest
wineries have, over the past decade, converted to organic
winemaking, organic viticulture or general methods of sustainable
agriculture. In simple terms, these winemakers and vineyard owners
are choosing to do everything possible to help, not harm, the
environment while creating a healthier product for consumers.
Organic Viticulture at British Columbia's Summerhill Winery
In British Columbia, one glance at beautiful Lake Okanagan,
with its dark blue waters and shores that stretch for miles, is
all it takes to see why winery owner Stephen Cipes chose to go
natural.
Cipes says the pristine lake was a motivating factor behind the
way he chose to operate his Summerhill
Estate Winery in Kelowna, the primary city of the north
Okanagan Valley wine region. It prompted him to begin
practicing organic viticulture (grape-growing techniques).
“The lake provides my drinking water, he points out. “I
didn’t want to pollute it.” Cipes also cites being the father
of four small children as another good reason for his organic
growing decisions.
Cipes left behind a lucrative career and a very different
lifestyle in New York, making his way to British Columbia in 1986
in a quest to “get back to the earth.” He opened Summerhill
Estate Winery in the early 1990’s, excited for the opportunity
to grow fruit in what he viewed as “one of the world’s best
growing regions.” Today, his winery produces several
award-winning organic wines.
Summerhill grows grapes in its vineyards without the use of use
of any herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers in the
soil. This practice is known as “organic viticulture.” The
term “organic” first entered the farming scene in 1946,
introduced by a farmer in Pennsylvania who believed a healthy,
living soil would produce healthy plants. The idea took root and
has grown steadily since.
Who Says It's Organic?
Today, various organizations around the world are involved in
regulating the practice of organic farming. In the United States,
monitoring the practice is the responsibility of a division of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) called NOW—the National
Organic Program. This program was set up following the passing of
the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) in 1990, requiring the
USDA to formulate standards for use of the word “organic.” The
USDA explains its reasons for regulating these practices by
saying: “For consumers who want to buy organic foods, the
standards ensure that they can be confident in knowing what they
are buying.”
"NOW" very recently issued a list of products that
organic growers are restricted from using, including many chemical
fertilizers and synthetic pesticides and insecticides deemed
harmful to the environment. Growers must demonstrate they have
avoided using anything from this list for three years before they
can be considered for certification. NOW also prohibits the use of
ionizing radiation, sewage sludge or genetic engineering. While
these guidelines are strict, the goal, says NOW, “is to ensure
that organically labeled products meet consistent national
standards.” To become certified organic in the United States, a
company must qualify through a state organization appointed by
NOW.
Similar certification rules apply in Canada. Summerhill earned
the title of “Certified Organic Vineyard,” and is currently
the largest vineyard of its kind in Canada. In the Okanagan,
organic certification is granted by the Similkameen Okanagan
Organic Producers Association (SOOPA).
Certification in Washington State
In Washington, certification is carried out through the
Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). Only a handful
of producers qualify. One winery that does is Lopez Island
Vineyards.
At Lopez
Island Vineyards in the Puget
Sound appellation, owner and winemaker Brent Charnley
 believes
he needs to be responsible toward the environment.
“The element of organic agriculture that I feel is most
important now is that of sustainability.” Charnley poses the
question, “Can we build a system of agriculture that is
ecologically sustainable indefinitely? I think that the modern
organic agricultural system is the closest model to this goal. I
am working in that direction myself.”
“Sustainable agriculture,” according to The University of
California’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
Program, “rests on the principle that we must meet the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs. Therefore,” the program states, “stewardship
of both natural and human resources is of prime importance.”
Advocates of this philosophy encourage using agricultural
techniques that rely on the influence of nature—making the most
of natural elements such as sun, water and soil. It refers, as
Charnley indicates, to a larger picture of ensuring the earth is
here for future generations to enjoy.
Charnley, who first became interested in organic agriculture
when he was eighteen, describes his winery as “the size that we
like…small and intimate.”
 Lopez
Island Vineyards has been organic since its beginnings in 1986.
The winery makes two little-known vinifera wines from its
six-and-a-half-acre-certified organic estate vineyard—Madeleine
Angevine (French) and Siegerrebe
(German). His blackberry
wine is also made from organic fruit.
Challenges of Organic Viticulture
While converting to organic viticulture was the right choice
for Charnley, the decision carried with it several challenges.
Staying away from the techniques and standards employed by most
wineries, Charnley, like other organic growers, must be creative
in finding ways to encourage healthy soil and keep pests, such as
fungus and insects, at bay.
Rather than being overwhelmed by these challenges, Charnley
seems to embrace them: “It takes more knowledge and skill in
farming to produce organic grapes,” he explains. “I cannot
just go and spray to solve some problem. I must plan ahead, build
soil fertility for the long range, try to find ways to prevent
disease and pest outbreaks, rather than eradicate pests. I must
work with the ecological systems of the planet."
Charnley says one of the greatest obstacles for organic growers
is the cost: “It takes more time and money.” And, he adds, “Little
federal money goes into research for sustainable agriculture.”
But for Charnley, the cost is well worth the difference: “Organic
agriculture’s impacts on the environment are far less than those
of chemical agriculture.”
To fight insects and other pests, Lopez Island Vineyards relies
on the most natural techniques available. Charnley plants
hedgerows, maintains a diverse variety of crops, builds fences to
keep out deer, adopts nets to keep out birds and runs off raccoons
with his dog. In some years he has had to rely on a natural
insecticide called pyrethrums, made from flowers, to keep wasps
away. The winery has, in the past, experienced loss due to yellow
jackets.
Another challenge is weed-control. Charnley makes use of
tilling, flaming weeds with a propane torch and a "French
Plow" which can reach under the vine to remove weeds in the
rows. He also plants a cover crop that “competes” with weeds
and compliments the grapevines.
To nurture healthy soil, Charnley incorporates the use of cover
crops that fix nitrogen, while also protecting the soil from heavy
winter rains. He also returns grape residue and vine clippings to
the vineyard which compost to be used by the vines at a later
time. Charnley’s methods are similar to those used by a majority
of organic growers.
Cipes, on the other hand, tries something a little different in
his Canadian vineyard—volcanic rock
 dust
from glaciers, imported from Washington. Cipes says the dust “provides
trace minerals and keeps the plants healthy and naturally
resistant to disease. In fact,” he adds, “it’s possible that
it enhances the flavor of the wines, too.” The winery is
currently conducting taste experiments to explore this idea.
Cipes and Charnley both advocate some of the same measures for
preventing mildew from becoming a problem. Sulfur is used to keep
mildew from getting a foothold, and a safe soap spray is applied
if mildew does manage to invade the vineyard.
One result of all this time-consuming work is the production of
less fruit overall. The advantage here, Cipes claims, is obvious:
“The product is high-end. Every step of the way, the fruit is
carefully examined — these steps make for a fabulous wine.”
Summerhill boasts a long list of wines grown in its organic
vineyard, but the difference made by organic growing, Cipes says,
is best seen in his sparkling wines.
“It’s easier to detect flaws, and any chemicals that have
been introduced to the fruit, in sparkling wines. When no
chemicals are introduced, the wines taste better.”
Cipes plans to continue experimenting and searching for ways to
make his organic viticulture practices more efficient and his
wines even better. “We learn as we go,” he explains.
The Question of Sulfites
Taking the word “organic” one step further, Summerhill’s
winemaker Alan Marks has tried his hand at making a wine without
the addition of sulfites, and has produced Cipes Brut—a wine
made from riesling grapes that Cipes describes as “truly unique.”
Sulfites are naturally produced during the maturation process of
winemaking, thus the need for the term “added” sulfites. While
the use of sulfites helps to preserve wines, a small number of
critics argue that sulfites pose a health issue and render a wine
“not organic.”
Two Washington Examples
Two organic wineries in Washington pride themselves in
producing wines that contain no added sulfites.
The first is China
Bend, a small young winery that lays claim to having “the
most Northerly vineyard in the United States.”
 Founded
in 1999, China Bend believes “organic” has come to be
synonymous with “quality.” None of the wines produced by this
winery contain any added sulfites.
While sulfite-free wines in the past were often characterized
by poor quality and taste, the wines today are beginning to
receive some prestigious awards at major wine competitions
internationally, proving advances in the practice. Taking home a
gold medal recently from the Indianapolis International Wine
Competition for his 1997 Marechal Foch Reserve, China Bend
winemaker Bart Alexander was more than pleased.
"All of us in the upper Lake Roosevelt area can be proud
that we can indeed produce World Class wines of the highest
quality."
A second Washington winery producing wines with no added
sulfites is Badger Mountain — the state’s largest certified
organic vineyard. All the wines of Badger Mountain, located in the
Columbia Valley appellation, are 100% organic; some go one step
further and are created without the use of additional sulfites.
The Badger Mountain/Powers Winery Story
Founder Bill Powers entered the wine industry when he planted
grapes in 1982 at his own Badger Mountain Vineyards. Once his
vines matured, Powers sold the grapes to another winery. Then in
1988 he made a few paramount changes. He bottled his first wine
under the Badger Mountain label, and he began changing his
vineyards to organic.
By 1990, Badger
Mountain Vineyards had converted to 100% organic viticulture
and earned the
 distinction
of becoming Washington’s first Certified Organic vineyard. That
same year, Power’s son Greg moved from his position in vineyard
management into that of winemaker—a role he continues to play.
In addition to their wide selection of organic certified wines,
the Powers family makes a limited selection of wines with no
sulfites added, including a merlot, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay
and riesling.
An Oregon Example
In Oregon’s Yamhill County, Amity Vineyards is making what it
calls its “Eco-wine”—
an organically grown 100% pinot noir with no added sulfites. The
grapes for this wine, like the chardonnay produced by Chateau
Lorane, are grown at Cattrall Brothers Vineyard, a vineyard
certified organic by Oregon Tilth — a state certifying
organization recognized by NOW. The dry land vineyard was first
planted in 1973 and has been organic since its very beginning.
Amity winemaker Myron Redford sought to make a high-quality
pinot noir, not merely “good, for a
 sulfite-free
pinot noir,” by relying on high quality fruit and careful
winemaking practices in the cellar. Redford believes he’s been
successful, and many wine critics agree; the wine has garnered
several positive reviews from major newspapers and wine trade
publications.
The addition of sulfites has recently been a source of concern
for winemakers choosing to grow fruit using organic viticulture.
The USDA had proposed that wineries not be allowed to use the term
“organic” if sulfites were added. This would have impacted
many wineries who are committed to practicing organic in every
sense of the word, but who add a low amount of sulfites to
preserve the wines. Many wineries banded together to fight this
proposed rule. In what is seen as a victory for these wineries,
however, USDA made changes to its original proposal in its
December issue of a final ruling. The new rule states that
wineries producing wine that contains sulfur dioxide still retain
the ability to display the phrase “grown from organic grapes”
on their bottles.
The Bottom Line
Throughout the far-reaching corners of their Pacific Northwest
wine regions, organic wineries may hold opposing views about the
need for adding sulfites. But on one subject they all agree —
natural methods are the best methods. Organic practices in
winemaking and viticulture give consumers a “healthier”
product. “The biggest benefits are the health of the wine
drinker,” insists winemaker Charnley, “and the health of the
planet.”
Even so, Linde Kester believes there is an equally important
reason consumers should choose organic wines.
“I’ve seen it over and over—wines made from organic
grapes are consistently better.”
|
