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G ra P e G r O W i NG Horacio Ortega, vineyard manager at Patianna, introduced chickens in the vineyard to forage under the vines, thereby reducing the cutworm population. It's our deeply held family value to re- spect and take care of the land. Patianna estate vineyard has been certified organic since 1987. W&V: What are the challenges—such as pests and diseases—to growing organi- cally at your location, and what solutions have you found? Fetzer: The fascinating thing about farming organically is that most chal- lenges can be overcome with natural means. For example, at one time we had a problem with cutworms. They live in the soil and come out when the sun is down and feed on the vine leaves. Our vineyard manager, Horacio Ortega, put chickens in the vineyard to scratch and forage under the vines. They took care of the cutworms and fertilized the soil in the process. The eggs are a delicious bonus. The vineyard borders the Russian River for 1.5 miles. We brought in a small herd of goats and sheep to graze on the wil- lows and riparian habitat that can be a host for the blue-green sharpshooter. Owl boxes provide nesting homes for raptors that control the gophers and moles populating our well-drained land. Year-round cover crops provide host environments for beneficial insects while adding nutrients to the soil. Soon beehives will join the "good bug" population. Even this year we did not have a prob- lem with mildew. Our vineyard manager, Horacio, is very hands-on, inspecting and pulling leaves by hand. He has taken care of this vineyard since the 1980s, and he has an instinctive farming program. W&V: Your vineyard has been certified Biodynamic by Demeter USA for several years, but you've decided to focus instead on organic viticulture and your certifi- cation by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). Why? Will you continue to use Biodynamic practices in your vine- yard, even if you're not certified? Fetzer: Our organic farming practices are based on a deep respect for nature and a balanced ecosystem; these are the tenets of Biodynamic and organic farming. But today, in order for a label to state a wine is "made from Biodynamic grapes," the certifying agency dictates some practices in the cellar. We are not prepared to change 72 Wines & Vines JAnUARY 2011 our winemaking regime or the Patianna style. Our focus has been, and continues to be, on a balanced, healthy vineyard and the flavors in the grapes. With that in mind, the certification agency that makes the most sense is CCOF. We continue to practice many of the Biodynamic protocols, such as farm- produced organic composts and manure to amend the soil. No petrochemicals are used. But we don't use the preparations, and we don't follow the calendar. W&V: Many California vintners have adopted sustainable practices that go beyond viticulture such as solar power, biodiesel and the like. What sort of sus- tainable practices are you using? Fetzer: One of the most important is water conservation. We do not draw from the Russian River except for frost control. We are removing vines to build an ir- rigation pond to capture rainwater and expect it to be completed by spring 2011. Five horizontal wells in the hillside pro- vide spring water to supply three houses on the property (my husband Gregg's and my home and those of my vineyard man- ager and foreman and their families). Our sustainable practices are evolv- ing. We are planning conversion of our vineyard equipment to biodiesel, and we use all-terrain vehicles where we can, avoiding large vehicles that compact the soil. We are exploring conversion to solar energy. We've reduced our carbon footprint in our packaging: We use a lighter glass bottle as well as kraft cartons printed with water-based ink. W&V: How did you decide what grape varieties to produce at Patianna? Fetzer: Our estate vineyard is ideal for growing Sauvignon Blanc and Chardon- nay. The vines grow in sandy loam soils along a 1.5-mile stretch of the Russian River. For our first four vintages (2003- 06), we purchased Syrah grapes from neighboring Fairbairn Ranch, a property once owned by my family. But the Syrah market became soft, so beginning with the 2008 vintage I decided to return to my roots and produce Zinfandel, a wine I love. It's part of my heritage: My father and Paul Dolan produced the first collection of Fetzer vineyard-designated zinfandels in 1980. As we've grown the Patianna brand, I decided also to produce a Pinot Noir from grapes grown by my brother Dan. A resident of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Laurie Daniel has been a journalist for more than 25 years. She has been writing about wine for publications for nearly 15 years and has been a Wines & Vines contributor since 2006. ten Fetzer siblings stayed in wine O f the 11 Fetzer siblings, 10 con- tinued in some aspect of the wine industry after Fetzer Vineyards was sold in 1992. Four of them—Joe, Mary, Di- ana and Richard—are grapegrowers in Men- docino County. All except Joe have vineyards that are certified organic. Six others, including Patti Fetzer of Pa- tianna Vineyards, have started wineries or wine brands. John Fetzer owns Saracina Vineyards; Teresa Fetzer established Oster Vineyards, and Dan Fetzer has Jeriko Estate. Robert Fetzer, who died in 2006, founded Masut Vineyards, which is now run by his wife and two sons. All of these operations are in Mendocino County, and the vineyards are being farmed organically—and, in some cases, Biodynamically. Brother Jim Fetzer established Ceago Vine garden in neighboring Lake County. Ceago is certified Biodynamic. Sister Kathleen Fetzer, a financial plan- ner, is the only Fetzer sibling who took an- other path. She manages the Kathleen Kohn Fetzer Family Foundation, which was estab- lished by her mother to benefit Mendocino County organizations. L.D. QSEE US AT UNIFIED, BOOTH #1334g