Spotswoode winery’s vineyards are near the base of the Mayacamas Mountains in Napa Valley. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

Compare a farmers market tomato to one bought at the grocery store. One is delicious and one not so much. Then delve into the health benefits. What was sprayed on an organic crop? What was put on the mass produced product?

How our food—and beverages—are farmed matters. It matters to the soil, to the actual plants, to the waterways getting runoff from the field, to the air blowing whatever product is used. It matters to the pollinators, animals living in the ground, flying through, and walking among the fields.

Whatever is happening on the ground is going to affect everyone who consumes the product from that acreage, as well as those working to bring the product to consumers.

Aron Weinkauf, vineyard manager and winemaker at Spottswoode, talks about sustainability in the vineyard. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

We all should care about what we are putting in our bodies.

Besides the grocery store, where are the food and beverages you are consuming coming from?

I’ll admit I don’t spend much time thinking about the farming practices of the wine I drink. After a visit Feb. 27 to Spottswoode winery in St. Helena, I hope I begin to care as much about the contents of a wine bottle as I do about other products I consume.

“Our commitment to the health of our natural environment runs very deep. It started with founding winemaker Tony Soter’s desire to farm organically when he took over management of our vineyard in 1985 (he came on in 1982 to make our first vintage), and it has never stopped. We are now certified organic, biodynamic, and regenerative organic,” CEO Beth Novak said in a profile I wrote about her for the North Bay Business Journal.

“We are solar powered, we are building a native heritage herd of Navajo Churro sheep, we are building resilience into our system. How does this translate to the bottle? Our wines are authentic representations of both time (vintage) and place (our estate). The life we have built in the vineyard, and in those with which we work (for the Sauvignon Blanc and Lyndenhurst) ensure that our wines are alive, show freshness and vitality, are true to time and place.”

History is everywhere at Spottswoode; the estate was established in 1882. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

Spottswoode became the first winery in Napa Valley to be certified organic in 1992. No synthetic chemicals, pesticides or fertilizers have been used since 1985.

The ways in which the winery is working to almost be one with Mother Nature are impressive. The list of certifications and affiliations is online.

The setting is so relaxed. It’s hard to believe one is in the heart of the Napa Valley because it’s so quiet. Such are the advantages of being in a residential neighborhood and not right on Highway 29.

History is present at the get-go with a large stone structure from the late 1800s. What is now the tasting room and offices is across the driveway is also from two centuries ago.

From the parking lot, looking out past the vines which belong to Duckhorn, is Fir Hill. Here the scar of the 2020 Glass Fire is a stark reminder of the fragility of life, farming, and people’s livelihoods.

The fire ravaged 67,000 acres in Napa and Sonoma counties, and destroyed more than 1,500 structures. It skirted the Spottswoode property and buildings.

Walking through the estate vineyard with winemaker and vineyard manager Aron Weinkauf was illuminating. For starters, it is an incredible rarity for one person to have both titles. The passion he has for farming “the right way” oozes from every bone in his body.

The wealth of information he espouses in a short amount of time is like taking a master’s class in how to farm for the greater good.

Spottswoode focuses on Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. (Image: Kathryn Reed)

It’s not surprising he says the farming aspect of his job is more difficult than the winemaking. On this particular day a crew is out pruning a bit. The whiplash of weather—cold and rainy to sunny and warm—isn’t something a vineyard manager can control, but it is something he and his team have to manage.

Early bud break is a concern. Late frosts are a concern. Blistering heat at harvest, smoke, wildfires—they are all eventual issues to contend with.

The rule of averages seems to have gone by the wayside and now it’s having to approach one season at a time with a great deal of flexibility, agility and nimbleness.

Weinkauf, who grew up in the Washoe Valley of Nevada between Reno and Carson City, has been at Spottswoode for 20 years. His sparkling eyes and smile reveal a man who loves his job.

Spottswoode’s attention to the land comes through in the bottle. With focusing  on two varietals—Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon—and their commitment to farming “the right way,” they deliver a high-end product that is worth savoring, while at the same time applauding.