Tidings Magazine

10:45 a.m., Seven Hills Vineyard: Farmed by the McClellen family for ten years, this well-drained site is the oldest block of vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley. We’re here to learn about Low Impact Viticulture and Enology (LIVE), a non-profit, educational certification organization for those practising (or wanting to practise) sustainable viticulture.

Sustainable viticulture refers to sustaining the organic as well as the economic health of the vineyard. Recognizing that soil can burn out due to excessive farming and the continuous application of fertilizers and chemicals, sustainable viticulture promotes the use of natural fertilizers (manure, for example) and the return of things like grape pomace back to the land. Though it doesn’t call for the total elimination of synthetic fertilizers and man-made disease-control methods, it does encourage vineyard owners to restrict their use as much as possible, viewing the soil as a living organism rather than an inert growing medium to be fed and enriched. Sustainable viticulture is gaining in popularity: the majority of vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley is LIVE-certified as is almost half the vineyard land in Oregon.

11 p.m., Shilo Inn, Newberg, Oregon: What a day. We lunched, tasted and learned more about sustainable viticulture at Zerba Cellars (“Everything taken from the vineyard goes back to the vineyard,” proclaimed Cecil Zerba), took a tour of the composting operation that showed those words in action, participated in what can only be described as a power tasting of 19 wines back at the Seven Hills Winery, flew back to McMinnville (sipping Evergreen Pinot Noir this time —I’ve decided that I simply must have a private jet) to enjoy a great dinner at the Evergreen Aviation Museum (current home of the Spruce Goose), finally arriving here at the bed … I mean, the hotel. Same thing at this point.

September 15, 9:15 a.m., Stoller Vineyards, Willamette Valley: “LIVE leads the way” and “Sustainable Success Stories Big and Small” are the themes of the day. We’re here at Stoller for a panel discussion on LIVE and sustainable vineyard practices. Steve Girard from Benton-Lane Winery notes that sustainable viticulture is “common-sense stuff” that isn’t any more expensive than conventional vineyard management but bodes better for the future of the vineyard. But if it’s a good thing and doesn’t entail a huge drain on capital, why isn’t every winery in the world practising it? Certainly, any farming method that will preserve the life of a crop and ensure its economic viability would appear to be a no-brainer. So what’s the deal? Is the extra effort on the part of the grower that much of a strain? Are people just lazy? Are the companies that prosper by selling chemicals and fertilizers using strong-arm tactics to derail sustainable efforts? Do consumers have misgivings about wines that are more or less “organic”? Questions I would surely ask if it wasn’t time for lunch.

2 p.m., Willamette Valley Vineyards: A stunning property with a commanding view of its namesake valley, this place was founded by Jim Bernau in 1983 and is now a public common-stock winery owned by many enthusiastic wine lovers. We’re here for lunch and to taste some wines made by LIVE-certified wineries. Among them a peachy, flower blossom– and apple-scented 2005 Ponzi Pinot Gris; a very ripe 2004 Benton-Lane Pinot Blanc laced with tropical-fruit nuances with a kiss of mineral; a terrific 2003 Rex Hill Jacob-Hart Vineyard Pinot Noir that shows intense wild raspberry and clove notes and a powerful, beautifully structured palate; a gorgeous 2002 Willamette Valley Vineyards Signature Cuvée Pinot Noir and, well, a lot more! Willamette Valley Vineyards takes the green theme a step further: its vehicles are powered with biodiesel made from used cooking oil from the plant of a well-known kettle-chip maker — another practice strongly encouraged in sustainable farming.

11 p.m.: Back from a great dinner at Painted Lady restaurant where we had (surprise) more great Oregon wine, including a Pinot Noir from Beaux Frères, the winery partially owned by wine guru Robert Parker.

September 16, 9 a.m., Sokol Blosser Winery: Today’s theme: “Exploring Organic and Biodynamic Philosophies.” Take “sustainable” a notch up and you get “organic.” Since the USDA’s adoption of the National Organic Standards, “organic” has become a legal term requiring a rigorous three-year certification process. “If you’re not certified, you’re not organic,” states Susan Sokol Blosser. No chemicals can be used for weed control and the use of organic compost and cover crops to “feed” the soil are encouraged. Susan admits that the transition to organic viticulture “hasn’t been easy.”

“You have to keep incredibly detailed records,” she notes. “You’ve got yearly inspections and it takes an incredible commitment. But I said to myself, ‘I can do this.’” And she did. The learning process, however, is ongoing. “Organic winemaking is confusing for us, but we’re doing it!”

Luckily, the state’s certifying body, Oregon Tilth, is one of the most successful and established organic enterprises, called upon to verify organic practices around the world.

12:45 p.m., Cooper Mountain’s Jason Cooper Vineyard: We’re pretty high up in the Dundee Hills hereand it’s not exactly balmy, with intermittent rain and a bit of a wind. No matter, we’re here for an al fresco lunch and a tasting of certified-organic wines. Whatever biases I may have had toward organic wines are now gone. These fine examples — from Cooper Mountain Vineyards, Evesham Wood Vineyard, Sokol Blosser Winery and Château Lorane among others — are all top-notch. No longer will I associate “organic” with, well, “yuk.”

3:15 p.m., Brick House Vineyards: Sitting under a canopy of vines as the sun peaks through the clouds, I’m with Doug Tunnell of Brick House Vineyards, Moe Momtazi of Maysara Winery, Josh Bergstrom of Bergstrom Wines, Kevin Chambers from Resonance Vineyard and Jim Fullmer of Demeter USA, the US arm of the international organization that promotes, educates and certifies biodynamic operations. These are passionate individuals whose aim is simple, even if attaining it isn’t: making extraordinary wine using the most natural methods possible.

“The way we farm is the way we live,” stresses Tunnell as he talks about the biodynamic lifestyle. “It’s about integrity. It’s not just about putting a cow horn in the ground.” As someone who tends to fall back on the Machiavellian “the end justifies the means” way of seeing wine, I really don’t care if Tunnell has to bury the entire cow: his 2004 Les Dijonnais Pinot Noir rocks with spicy sandalwood, anise, fennel and sweet-cherry notes.

Countering claims by “science-minded” types that biodynamic viticulture is a load of, um, cow poo, Chambers tends to disagree, if rather reservedly. “They suggest that if you can’t pass it through all the scientific variables, it doesn’t exist. And that’s bullshit.” Tasting these wines and keeping in mind the number of top-flight wineries worldwide that practice biodynamics, you tend to agree with him.

September 17, 11:00 a.m., PDX: Our final blow-out was last night at the stunning Maysara Winery. We were treated to a wild ride through the hillside vineyards before settling down to tasty hors d’œuvres, more wine (surprise) and a great dinner with (big surprise) more wine. I’m now getting ready to hop the shuttle to PDX where I’ll pick up my rental car and drive back to the good ol’ Marcus-Whitman in Walla Walla, Washington, to set off on the tour of Washington, which I wrote about in the previous issue of Tidings. Yeah, that does sound a bit weird … back-to-back wine tours have that effect.

Tod Stewart is not as serious a person as he looks in this photo and will eagerly share a glass or eight of the most ordinary vin ordinaire with whoever’s buying.

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