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Sustainability Matters

A collection of 74 posts

Photo essay: head-trained, dry-farmed Grenache on Scruffy Hill

Over recent years, we've become more and more convinced that dry farming is perhaps our most powerful tool in making wines that express their place. I wrote about this in detail in 2010, and since then most of our new plantings have been very traditional: head-trained, dry-farmed and

Photo of the Day: Donkeys on Guard

Some photos are too good not to share. As regular followers of the blog know, we have two donkeys that help guard our mixed flock of sheep and alpacas from coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions and other predators that might threaten the smaller animals. Donkeys will bond with other species in

Common-sense sustainability

I'm in New York this week, helping kick off the release of the 2010 Esprit de Beaucastel and 2010 Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc. My hotel, like most hotels these days, has one of the signs that tells you that in order to help protect the environment, my sheets

Compost Tea: a Power Shake for the Vineyard

By Levi Glenn A few years back we started to make and apply compost tea in the vineyard. It was an effort to try to improve our soil, a central theme in organic farming: improve the soil and the plant will follow. Compost tea contains two important soil improving components:

The powerful impact of our grazing herd in the vineyard

As we get to know our grazing herd out at Tablas Creek, we're becoming increasingly convinced of its effectiveness. A photo will illustrate the impact. It shows the border between two vineyard blocks, on the right one that had the animals in residence for the previous five days,

Another detour along the road to American organic wine

About three months ago, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) made a ruling that didn't get a lot of press, but is likely to produce a remarkable trifecta of negative results, discouraging organic viticulture and ensuring that the reputation of American organic wine remains dubious, all while putting

New Lambs at Tablas Creek

As we've mentioned, we're moving forward with our Biodynamic program throughout the property, including additional work with compost, cover crops, and Biodynamic preparations. One of the keys to Biodynamics is biodiversity in flora, fauna and (consequently) microbes, and it is the additions to the fauna that

Animal Farm: The Benefits of Biodiversity in the Vineyard

By Levi Glenn "Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend." It has probably been some time since most of you have read the metaphorical novella Animal Farm by George Orwell. At the moment, Orwell's line seems quite fitting for Tablas Creek Vineyard.

Putting the Vineyard to Bed for Winter

We're enjoying the warm weather after our first winter storm passed through last night. It dropped about an inch of rain on the vineyard, and the wind completed the defoliation of the vines begun by the two weeks of frosty nights in late November. This is a quiet

Biodynamics and dry-farming: repairing the failings of "modern" viticulture

Week before last, I had the privilege of representing Tablas Creek at the Yosemite Vintners' Holidays. This event (which I wrote about a few months back in my post 5 great events for food&wine lovers) was as usual a treat, with unexpectedly warm weather, about 175 attendees