By Terry Hall, St. Helena Star, April 25, 2013
Photo by Thomas Heinser

Many know of Napa Valley’s storied Spottswoode Estate Vineyard and Winery, but unless one has occasion to wander off the beaten path just west of downtown St. Helena, pin-pointing the location of the historic property may be a bit of a challenge.

Today, there is a compelling reason to seek out Spottswoode because the winery has just completed and opened a new tasting room.

The adventure begins with finding your way there, as only a small plaque on the mail box on the street leads into a gravel driveway. If you are looking at the iconic early-20th century sign over the gate, ignore your instinct to pull in here as this is matriarch Mary Novak’s home.

The short gravel driveway off Madrona Avenue is the nexus of the winemaking at Spottswoode. There is the ghost, stone Kraft Winery, used today for barrel storage beside the more humble, yet state-of-the-art modern production winery. Pass under a stately oak and park facing the vineyard. The house’s ground-level entrance is where the visit begins. A short, easy stroll to learn about the wine production is accompanied by a vineyard walk to see where it all begins.

The winemaking areas are impeccable, and the vineyards are a model of sustainability that have been farmed organically since 1985. A restoration of Spring Creek on the property is an example of the region’s groundbreaking Napa Green Certified Land. Consider wearing sensible shoes for the walk.

Finished in February, the tasting room, designed by Napa Valley architect Karen Roberts, is an addition to the charmingly restored pre-Prohibition house located at 1902 Madrona Ave.

Each weekday at 10 a.m. wine lovers may join Nicole Knoth, Hospitality & Events manager, for a 90-minute tour and tasting. The experience is intimate with no more than 10 guests, and no more than six per party. Knoth joined Spottswoode last summer after managing Direct to Consumer Sales & Marketing at Clos du Val for the past three years. She and her husband moved from San Diego to the Napa Valley in 2008.

The tasting is $45 per person (which is credited to each six-bottle purchase of cabernet sauvignon) and is a tasting of not only the estate’s highly-regarded cabernet sauvignon, but also its Lyndenhurst bottling named for one of the estates past identities, and its refreshing sauvignon blanc.

The tour includes a very personal look at Mary’s gardens which have been a labor of love of hers for the past 40 years, from the time she and her late husband Jack brought their five children to the Napa Valley from Los Angeles. There is something imparted on the garden by each of the home’s previous owners over the past 130 years or so. It is a testament to the property’s beautiful setting that it seems each previous owner, from the early days in 1882 when it was known as Esmeralda to later when the Spotts family christened it Spottswoode, added something of note to the gardens. Those who came before the Novaks are honored in the estate’s storytelling creating a rich and layered history.

For the Novak family, the work has been challenging as well as rewarding. Not long after they arrived in St.. Helena, Jack suddenly died leaving Mary with not only five young children to raise, but a vineyard in disrepair and a winemaking venture just emerging. They pulled through, and last year celebrated their 30/40 anniversary. Forty years since they arrived to restore the property and thirty years since their first wine — a cabernet sauvignon — was produced.

A visit to Spottswoode is a special treat; even today their permit allows just 50 visitors per week. To book a tour and tasting, visit spottswoode.com or call 963-0134 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

(Terry Hall is a Calistoga resident who runs his own communications, branding and event planning company. He can be reached at thall@thnapa.com.)

In In The News | Tagged with california, in the press, natural wine

By Randol White for Eat, Drink, Explore, September 4, 2012

AmByth Estate is Paso Robles’ first and only winery to produce Demeter certified Biodynamic wines and are 100 percent dry-farmed.

According to the California Agricultural Water Stewardship Initiative, dry farming is not to be confused with rainfed agriculture. Rainfed agriculture refers to crop production that occurs during a rainy season.

Dry farming, on the other hand, refers to crop production during a dry season, utilizing the residual moisture in the soil from the rainy season, usually in a region that receives 20” or more of annual rainfall.

Dry farming works to conserve soil moisture during long dry periods primarily through a system of tillage, surface protection, and the use of drought-resistant varieties.

Click here to learn more about AmByth Estate

In AmByth Estate, In The News | Tagged with ambyth, california, Demeter, education, natural wine, organic wine, paso robles, sustainability

From the Oregon Wine Press, August 1, 2012

Several years ago, I discovered that rockin’ wine often comes from sustainably farmed grapes. With a new-found passion for natural wine, I wanted to learn more and dig deeper. Through research — and a bottle or two — I have unearthed the following conclusions:

1. Diversity on the farm and a strong immune system go hand and hand.

2. Through observation, the farmer discovers the assets of his farm and, as a result, builds a growing, evolving, living relationship with the land. The depth of that relationship supports the ongoing health of the farm.

3. The farmer/farm relationship is what can allow the farmer to not put round pegs in square holes when making choices. This supports a set of dominoes which keep the farm’s immune system strong. The easier things fit together, the less stress on the system, the more naturally the whole system works.

4. When you take, you must give back. That’s what makes any relationship work well and sustainably. If you remove the natural vitality from the soil (because it’s been absorbed by the products harvested), then that vitality needs to be given back. Indigenous cover crops and composting — created ideally from materials on the farm — are a couple ways to accomplish this.

5. Synthetic chemicals used in farming can help in the short term but come with side effects, including nutrient and diversity depletion. Think of taking medicine for an ailment and how it affects your system, especially if you take it long-term. How do you support your overall health, and what might you do to balance or counteract the side effects of taking medicine both short and long-term.

6. Agriculture doesn’t exist in nature; its roots go back approximately 10,000 years. When a farmer takes away the natural diversity, a lot of conscious work is required to reinvigorate the soil and the environment with diversity and vitality.

7. Farm as if it were 1850. Huh? Use what’s on the farm to support the farm. Think of it like a closed loop system. If you want to build a house or wall, where does the wood and stone come from? The idea is to create a closed loop system, where the nutrients and resources needed to nourish that system come from within that system.

A commitment to move in these directions can lead to sustainability defined as: leaving the land healthier than it was before farming; passing a healthier place on to our kids and their kids; and minimizing the pull of resources from outside the farm.

Specific practices include animals on the farm, biodiversity, Biodynamic farming, energy conversation, family farming, good worker policies, natural winemaking, packaging conservation, polyculture (growing or raising different plants and animals on the same land) and water conservation.

Cheers to the wineries walking the talk while putting in the bottle wines that rock. Luckily for us here in Oregon, this trend is becoming more the norm and less of an exception.

Jeffrey Weissler writes about natural and organic wine on his blog, ConsciousWine.com. Originally from New York, Weissler now lives in Portland, via Ashland.

In Demystifying Natural Wine, In The News, Jeff's Blog, Natural Winemaking, Sustainable Practices | Tagged with biodynamic, education, in the press, natural wine

By Jessica Reeder, Organic Authority

While winemakers throughout the world grapple with the difficulties of producing wine organically without risking its quality, one Oregon vineyard is quietly releasing vintage after vintage of delicious, additive-free Grenache, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. How do they do it? For Barbara and Bill Steele, proprietors of Cowhorn Vineyard, the key is careful planning, attention to detail and a qualitative approach that values a delicious bottle of vino above all else.

A certified organic and biodynamic property, Cowhorn takes its name from the biodynamic practice of burying preparations in a horn to allow them to compost. But the true secret of this vineyard’s success is careful planning and management, leading to high-quality crops that might put other producers to shame.

“Many people in the wine industry don’t get a chance to see grapes that are in as beautiful condition as they often are at a biodynamic farm,” Barbara says.

“The fact that they come in without disease problems, without mold or mildew or pests, means right off the bat, for example, we don’t have to sulfur our grapes in order to kill diseases,” says Barbara. Unlike many wines made with organic grapes, Cowhorn does not use any artificial additives in its production. And unlike many additive-free wines, Cowhorn consistently scores highly with reviewers and was included in the “Top 100 Northwest Wines” by the Seattle Metropolitan.

The Steeles didn’t start out as winemakers; they were both working in big business when Barbara decided she wanted a change. She spent a few years volunteering on organic farms, and soon the Steeles decided to get into agriculture. With their business background and a desire to create the best farm they could, they devised a plan to grow multiple crops—primarily grapes, asparagus and cherries—so their crew could work year-round, and the farm could receive a steady income from market sales. Ten years later, Cowhorn produces 2,000 cases of wine and 4,000 pounds of asparagus.

“What really drives Bill and myself is to make high quality fruit, support people eating locally and support local job creation,” Barbara says. “You’ll notice I didn’t say our burning ambition is to be famous winemakers.” Yet through their mission to create the best, most holistically-produced wine they can, they’ve also succeeded at becoming one of the West’s favorite cult wines. Wine Spectator‘s Matt Kramer calls Cowhorn the vineyard he’s “excited about”—and you should be excited too. Vineyards like this may be the new face of organic wine, and the view is lovely.

You can buy Cowhorn wines ($18-45 per bottle) directly from their website, or in restaurants and bottle shops in Oregon, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. See the full list here.

In Cowhorn, In The News | Tagged with biodynamic, cowhorn, natural wine, oregon

This past week, The Woodlands hosted its Wine and Food Week 2012, sponsored by H-E-B. Most of the events, including wine and cheese tastings, multi-course dinners and conversations with winemakers, were held in The Woodlands, with one important exception: the much anticipated Bottlenotes First Annual 80 Sips Around the World event, which took place inside Minute Maid Park’s Union Station.

Though 80 Sips Around the World is four years old, it’s the first Houston appearance for the event series, which was inspired and created by author and Bottlenotes (a media company dedicated to educating wine enthusiasts) founder and CEO Alyssa Rapp, who wrote the book Bottlenotes Guide to Wine: Around the World in 80 Sips in 2008. The first 80 Sips Around the World events were held in San Francisco, Chicago and New York, and they have now spread to 12 markets, including Houston. Rapp was the “wine wizard” for Wine and Food Week 2012 — that is, she was the official master of ceremonies throughout the seven-day celebration.

According to Rapp, 80 Sips Around the World is a crash course in in wine for neophytes.

“The expectation is that you’re new to wine,” Rapp said.

Not quite. For a $125 cover fee, guests strolled in last Friday evening, grabbed a glass, and got to the task of tasting samples from the winemakers — there were 120 instead of the expected 80.There were also palate-cleansers – cheese, grapes and assorted vegetables. While 80 Sips was already a challenge for the uninitiated, discovering there would be 120 potential pours upon arrival was downright daunting. Getting through the event required more than a rudimentary knowledge of wine. Luckily, there was some help: each “vendor’s” table was stocked with two or three (or four or five) different wine brands and types, a cheerful assistant to help pour wine, and a representative from the company to explain each wine’s origin and flavor.

There were wines present from every corner of the globe: California, Spain, France, even some from South Africa, and it was quite a delight learning of the stories behind each. Notable “destinations” included Mt. Brave Wines, a single vineyard concoction grown on the top of Mt. Veeder in Napa Valley, California.

“We’re this little piece of land,” said the table’s wine rep, emphasizing the greater concentration of grapes and thus, the stronger potency of the resulting wines. “The flavors are a lot more pronounced.”

Brooks Winery, an Oregon-based wine institution owned by 16-year-old Pascal Brooks after the passing of his father Jimi Brooks, and managed by his aunt Janie Brooks Heuck, prides itself not only on possibly being the winery with the youngest owner on the planet, but on the purity of its wines: no additives, no sugars and no acids, said Heuck.

“They taste like grapes, they taste like the earth from where they came from,” she said, beaming.

H-E-B’s station, manned by wine department manager Sean Ballesteros, stood with quiet confidence near the front of Union Station, offering not wines, but a “food-friendly equivalent to red wines,” according to Ballesteros: a red ale beer, and a Canadian Unibroue Grande Reserve 17, a dark ale.

What was great about the event was its accessibility; starting at 7 p.m., legions of “wine-curious” parties were able to take a leisurely after-work drive on over to the baseball stadium, eventually filling the space to capacity over the span of three hours. They, in turn, left with a greater knowledge of wine: all its types, and what it’s supposed to taste like.

Just another example of how Houston culture is growing every day.

Proceeds from Bottlenotes First Annual 80 Sips Around the World will go to the Snowdrop Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to eradicating all childhood cancers.

By Altamese Osborne Mon., Jun. 11 2012, for the Houston Press Blogs

In Brooks, In The News | Tagged with brooks, natural wine, oregon, sustainability

A Welshman’s thriving vineyard in sunny California could soon be exporting its AmByth wine from the USA back to Wales.

Phillip Hart emigrated to the USA from Bangor, North Wales, in the 1970s.

And after meeting his horse-rancher wife Mary, he established an organic vineyard and winery at Templeton in central California, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

He now leads an idyllic life on the AmByth Estate – named after the “Wales Forever” slogan Cymru Am Byth – with cows, sheep, rabbits, cats and dogs for company.

The most famous resident in the small town in the wine growing hills of California is actor Josh Brolin, son of Amityville Horror star James and stepson of Barbra Streisand.

The temperature in the town, founded in 1886, ranges from a chilly -9C in winter to a sweat inducing 45C in summer.

Speaking from the AmByth Estate Mr Hart told the Western Mail: “I was born in Bangor, North Wales and raised on a sheep mountain farm [Llanerch] near Porthmadog.

“I went to school at Borth-y-Gest, and Ysgol Eifionydd.”

Asked how he came to name his estate and winery AmByth, he explained: “The name has a tad more to it than first glance. “My brother Mark and I emigrated to California from Wales in 1978 after two years in South Africa and two years before that in Australia.

“We opened a rug store in Newport Beach, California called Hart’s Rugs & Carpets with the corporate name of Cymru Trading Inc.

“When my wife, who grew up on a horse farm in Oklahoma, bought and moved to our farm in central California and planted grapes we had to come up with a name for the vineyard and winery.

“We researched many Welsh names but as you well know the average ‘Anglo’ has a bit of a problem with Welsh names, Llanerch for instance.

“I remembered my childhood in Wales where the black steel railway bridges had been spray painted with graffiti declaring ‘Cymru Am Byth’.

“After trying the words Am Byth on several people and finding out that by and large they ‘got it’ we modified it a little and joined them together but kept the caps, hence ‘AmByth’.

“Perhaps because Mary and I grew up in ‘natural’ environments we decided to farm in an organic way.

“We are certified organic and certified bio-dynamic. I make natural wines with no additions beyond some tiny sulphur additions in some wines – absolutely nothing else gets added except grapes.

“We foot stomp everything, native fermentation, natural lactic acid et cetera.

“Our farm AmByth is indeed a farm and we hope that after we are dead and gone it will continue forever in good health.” Mr Hart said the AmByth Estate was looking to produce cider and that there are plans to export to the UK over the next few years.

“We have 65 apple trees [for cider], 60 other fruit and nut trees, a total of 540 producing olive trees, vegetable gardens, cows, sheep, rabbits, chickens and of course dogs and cats,” he said.

“A wonderfully alive place to belong to.

“Last year we had a young chap from Wales here as an intern, Jack Teifi Evans from Aberaeron, Ceredigion who is studying viticulture in Brighton College.

“His father is starting a vineyard in Wales.

“We are currently in talks with a London importer called The Sampler in Islington.

“If we can come to some arrangement then our wines would be available for purchase in the UK and of course Wales.

“If not then our current plans would be to possibly pour at UK wine festivals, possibly in 2014.”

Despite California’s reputation for sunshine, the AmByth Estate’s production has been hit by unusually cold weather.

“Because of severe frost in April 2011 our production from that year will be just 6,000 bottles,” said Mr Hart.

“Farming’s the same whether we are in Wales or California and full of pitfalls.

“Our current market is California with distributors in Quebec, Chicago, Massachusetts and North Carolina.

“Of course, online sales go on throughout the United States too but it would be wonderful one day to export back to Wales.”

Nearly three-quarters the size of France, California accounts for nearly 90% of the entire wine production of the USA.

Production in California alone is one third larger than that of Australia and if California were a separate country, it would be the world’s fourth-largest wine producer.

The state’s wine producing history dates back to the 18th Century Spanish missionaries who planted the first vineyards in the region so they would have red wine for Mass.

Taken from WalesOnline.com, by Robin Turner, April 20, 2012

In AmByth Estate, In The News | Tagged with ambyth, biodynamic, california, in the press, natural wine, organic wine, sustainability

The ConsciousWine Family would like to thank Food & Wine Magazine for writing about us in their February 2012 issue (on newsstands now).

Here’s what they wrote:

How GREEN is your shopping?

ConsciousWine: Founded in October 2011, this online wine shop only sells wines made from organically grown grapes. Additionally, the wineries they work with must pursue other green goals, like water conservation and vineyard biodiversity. ConsciousWine also donates 4 percent of its sales to charity – shoppers get to choose from a list of causes.   www.consciouswine.com

In ConsciousWine, In The News | Tagged with Food Related, in the press, natural wine, organic wine

Taken from VinoPasoRobles.com, Fall-2011
by Josh Petray

Ambyth Wine Estate crafts fine biodynamic wines out of Templeton Gap

Biodynamic pioneers Mary and Phillip Hart’s Templeton hilltop estate originally planted with vineyards in 2004 has become more of a farm. For the owners, it’s a lifestyle choice. And a healthy one at that, they said.

The Harts, owners of Paso Robles American Viticultural Area’s only certified biodynamic/organic vineyard and winery, say they never undertook the niche certification for the money or the marketing boost it would provide in a culture arguably intrigued with sustainable buzzwords like biodynamic and organic, but their wines happen to be both.

Witnessing the growth of the vines and evolution of farming practices on their estate — situated in the Templeton Gap and cooled by Pacific coastal breezes — is part of what characterizes the “new ancient,” as Phillip coined it, for Ambyth Estate Wines.

“Huge,” Phillip said as he stood perched looking at the two cows mowing weeds on the estate vines in response to the question: How has the growth been on the vineyard since it was planted?

The vines — stronger. Grape clusters — more organized. From a wine-growing perspective, advancement as one could hope, according to Phillip.

Sixty-five apple and pear trees, more than 60 fruit and nut trees and eight beehives adorn the property. Chickens bear eggs that the family eats. Two sheep that roamed the property, fertilizing it, are now in the freezer, awaiting an epicurean twist. Rabbits are reared for weed-eating and eventual consumption.

“We’re not just a vineyard,” he said. “We have become much more of a farm.”

The couple’s love of the land is visible at every step of the way at Ambyth Estate. Olive-oil lovers have been known to make the trek all the way to Ambyth to pick up what Phillip described as fine an olive oil as one can get. Five-hundred-and-forty olive trees adorn the property, producing a two-and-a-half-ton harvest last year.

In addition to the dry-farmed olives, the Harts make their own honey from beehives situated throughout the Templeton property.

“That was outstanding — just to have our own extra virgin olive oil,” Phillip said. “In my opinion, it’s as fine of an olive oil as you can find on this planet. It is purchased by people just the same as honey — it’s just good stuff. Here, right out of the winery.”

He’s quick to point out that whole farming/biodynamic component wasn’t necessarily in the couple’s master plan. It was just “the path that just keeps opening up.”

“When I think by being biodynamic, the path has opened up more because it does tend to make you read more to understand what you’re doing,” he said.

What follows is a learn-and-dothrough- reading approach that’s allowed him to see what others have done successfully on their properties, and then emulate it.

“There’s a gas that apples give off that’s great for all other growing plants,” he said, offering up a theoretical example. “You go, ‘Ooh, I have a west fence that the breeze comes through every day — that would be a great idea.’ That kind of stuff. Really, that’s how it happens.”

“It was never a marketing plan,” he said. “It was a choice of a way of life, but there seems to be a nice peripheral sides that go with that.”

In fact, the proprietor and Persian rug aficionado said he’s not heavy on the whole certification side of things. Although Ambyth carries the heavy organic and biodynamic certifications, it blends in nicely with the natural approach already being undertaken at the farm.

Despite any preconceptions about the mysticism steeped in biodynamic farming, Hart professes that biodynamic pioneer Rudolf Steiner “is no guru,” nor a “prophet,” simply someone who took information from the past and spoke about it in a way that people could understand intellectually and move forward.

“It’s not a mystical way of farming — it’s actually an old-fashioned way of farming,” he said.

The “natural way” of farming biodynamically appeals to Mary, too.

“It’s a safe environment that we’ve created here on our property, not only for our family but for our animals, any beneficial predators or insects that we have. Visitors, if people come and eat at my table they’re going to get food that is healthy and clean for their bodies, and wine as well,” she said.

At Ambyth, Phillip handles the vineyard and winery. Mary takes charge of the gardens, fruit and nut trees, small animals.

“We’re trying to create a closed system,” Mary said. “Things just keep going — it’s circular.”

That’s not to say that biodynamism isn’t something that’s misunderstood by the vast majority of farmers and wine enthusiasts.

“Some people are wide open to it, and of course as with everything else in life, other people are absolutely closed shut, and that’s fine, I don’t have a problem with it,” Hart said.

According to the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association, the movement laid its roots in the 1920s with a group of practicing farmers who were concerned with the decline in the health of soils, plants and animals, and sought the advice of Steiner, founder of anthroposophy. The movement embraces a “unified approach to agriculture that relates the ecology of the farm-organism to that of the entire cosmos,” according to the group.

It’s an approach, from the preps to the harvest that the Harts believe in. From planting the vines to making the wines, all facets of winemaking occur onsite at their estate.

Among natural approaches, the Harts do not fine or filter and use only native yeasts. Lower alcohol level wines are sought after.

“Take a look at the property,” Phillip said, offering evidence of the success of biodynamism. “Look at the vines.”

Wines harvested from Ambyth vines are oftentimes described as “interesting,” said Phillip. That — and they’re “very pleasing.”

“I typically hear that they’re all different,” he said. “I think that’s what you get when you go this way. The question of do I really believe in it? Well, it’s self-evident.”

Just this year, the couple purchased quartz from an exclusive New York distributor to be buried in the vineyard, among other prep work undertaken.

Varietals grown on the property include grenache, grenache blanc, mourvedre, syrah, viognier, Rousanne and Cuonoise.

Last year’s vineyard crop was good, in part due to the rain, according to Phillip. This year, the couple has decided to take a step back and sell about half the fruit in order to take a breath and tend to some of the other things around the farm.

Hart comfortably described the zero growth statistic in sales for Ambyth wines in 2010 from the year prior, which he described as “pathetic,” and “a horrible year business-wise.”

“You should have growth in those early years,” he said, adding, “This year we’re on target for where I thought we were last.”

People do travel the beaten path to seek out Ambyth, the couple said. For Mary and Phillip, it’s always kind of fun to see visitors seek out their estate-grown wines, from places near and far. They’ve grown to learn just how many natural wine enthusiasts there are out there. Though limited (and admittedly not providing an exciting business climate due to its limited range), they’re a dedicated bunch that will single Ambyth out for a taste of something distinct and different.

“I didn’t quite realize how many biodynamic wine nuts there were out there,” Phillip said. “Natural wine nuts — and I say that in a friendly way because I’m a natural wine nut.”

In AmByth Estate, In The News | Tagged with ambyth, biodynamic, california, Demeter, in the press, natural wine, organic wine