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WINEMAKER INTERVIEW 108 WINES&VINES January 2017 We have experimented with using no SO 2 and being below 10 ppm with mixed results, particularly with wines shipped abroad. Some- times, in the summer, we have seen problems in the United States. These problems have led us to our current levels. This year (2016), we will make Syrah with- out SO 2 . I think Syrah's highly reductive nature will work; we shall see. Q You're trying to get away from copper compounds used against bunch rot and other diseases in the vineyards you source from. Why? What sort of alterna- tives have your growers tried? Brandt: We want our wines and the vine- yards we work with to be safe and ecological. I have read academic studies on the results of long-term use of copper on the soil and its microbial diversity. For us, this impact is too great to ignore. At Filigreen Farm in Anderson Valley, the grower is certified Biodynamic but uses no copper or sulfur. Instead, he uses stylet oil and baking soda. To date, this has worked. Baking soda (Kaligreen) does have a risk in that if applied too close to harvest, it can bump pH. A resident of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Laurie Daniel has been a journalist for more than 35 years. She has been writing about wine for publications for more than 21 years and has been a Wines & Vines contributor since 2006. REGISTER YOUR TEAM TODAY symposium.oregonwine.org February 21 & 22 Oregon Convention Center LEARN Industry leaders present the latest in wine business, climate and consumer trends Taste wines from innovative vineyard and winery experiments around Oregon CONNECT The Northwest's biggest wine industry trade show with more than 170 exhibitors Mix and mingle while enjoying Oregon wine and hors d'oeuvres at the Soirée GROW Insights and lessons on developing business strategies across diverse sales channels Get grapegrowing and winemaking strategies for adapting to a warmer climate @ORWineSymposium #ORWineSymposium Jared Brandt fills barrels with Pinot Noir as Tracey Brandt punches down an open-top fermentor.