DeLoach Vineyards Receives Organic Certification: Latest Of Many "green" Initiatives At The Estate

PRLog (Press Release) - Oct 09, 2008 -
(Russian River Valley, Calif.) - DeLoach Vineyards announced today that it has received organic certification for its estate vineyards and garden. The achievement marks the latest in a series of initiatives the winery has undertaken to create a more environmentally-friendly, self-sustaining estate since it was purchased over four years ago by the Boisset family, one of Burgundy's most acclaimed Pinot noir producers. This philosophy of stewardship is nothing new to the Boissets, whose French vineyards are all farmed and certified organically or biodynamically: "We don't impose our rhythm on Nature," says Proprietor Jean-Charles Boisset. "The key is to listen, respect and live within Her."

DeLoach's conversion to organic and biodynamic methods began as soon as the winery was acquired, with the addition of compost throughout the vineyards.  One year later, all of the estate's vineyards were removed to begin a two-year series of cover crop rotations and preparations aimed at restoring a naturally healthy balance to the soil. Today, the new vineyards are planted to eight clones of Pinot Noir (115, 828, 23, 777, Calera, La Tache, Mt. Eden and Swan) and two Chardonnay clones (Old Wente and 809), which will yield their first estate-grown organic wines in 2010.

In addition to selective tillage and cover crops, which provide structure, discourage erosion, control weeds, and offer habitat for beneficial organisms (such as the winery's bees), DeLoach also relies upon biodynamic field and compost preparations to enliven the soil and encourage healthy growth of the young vines. Founded by Austrian scientist and philosopher Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s, biodynamics is an agricultural approach based upon the premise that cultivation of biodiversity and attention to cosmic rhythms can be used to recreate the modern farm as a self-sustaining entity, where all organisms - from grapevines to humans - live in balance. Consulting Head Winemaker Greg LaFollette explains: "There's uniqueness to almost every row of every vine. When you poke your head inside a canopy and look around and then respect - even down to the microscopic level - the one-celled organisms that are going to conduct the fermentation, that's where things like biodynamics come into play."

Are organic and biodynamic wines really better?
Alternative farming methods can mean extra challenges and risks - particularly when it comes to weed and pest control - but they can also offer huge benefits in terms of wine quality and authenticity. For DeLoach Winegrower Eric Pooler, the effort is worth it: "If you're conscious of what you're doing in your vineyards - when you're taking advantage of everything that exists within your soil and really paying attention to the whole vineyard ecosystem - you'll end up with grapes that are more expressive of where they're grown."  This means wines that are more reflective of their terroir - a concept that Burgundian winegrowers have championed for centuries.  "The Burgundians understand that wine has a voice, and you must follow that," explains LaFollette. "It's the most fundamental, basic element of making great wines."

Along with minimizing negative impact on the environment and laying the foundation for more authentic wines, organic and biodynamic methods require an increased awareness of one's relationship with Nature, encouraging the holistic vision that is the true hallmark of long-term stewardship. "As a pioneering Russian River Valley winery and the region's only Burgundian-owned producer of ultra-premium Pinot Noir, we are fortunate to have a rich history," says Boisset, "but it's the heritage we leave to our children that matters most today.  We have an immense responsibility towards the future."

Above and beyond receiving its organic certification, the winery has recently completed construction of an innovative membrane bio-reactor which relies on micro-organisms to purify water used in the winemaking process so it can then be used for landscaping and vineyard irrigation. The award-winning system, known as the Titan MBR, uses cutting-edge technology to create an oxygen-rich environment in which ordinary soil bacteria convert organic material to non-polluting compounds. After passing through this natural and environmentally-friendly process, the water is filtered through a fine membrane to remove all bacteria, and stored for later use.  One of the first of its kind to be implemented in the wine industry, the winery's Titan MBR has the potential to save almost two million gallons of water per year.

This summer, the winery also partnered with Village Green Energy, a renewable energy provider, to create a Facebook application called "Green My Vino" in which users gave each other free "energy minutes" towards the winery's energy goal. DeLoach then purchased enough energy to power its operations from renewable sources for an entire year, eliminating 314 metric tons of CO2 from the atmosphere - the annual equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions from 57 passenger vehicles.

ABOUT DELOACH VINEYARDS
DeLoach Vineyards has been making wine in the Russian River Valley since 1975, and is a pioneer in terroir-driven Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Zinfandel. In late 2003, Boisset Family Estates, the U.S. importer for family-owned Boisset, Vins & Spiritueux, purchased DeLoach Vineyards, citing the Russian River Valley as California's most expressive terroir for cultivating Burgundian varietals. With roots in the heart of Burgundy, Boisset is one of France's leading producers of Pinot Noir.

Located at 1791 Olivet Road in Santa Rosa, the DeLoach Vineyards tasting room and organic garden are open to the public daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 p.m.

For more information please contact:
Lisa Vasse, DeLoach Vineyards. P: 707-526-9111x100 E: lisav@deloachvineyards.com