Sustainable Travel

Organic and Biodynamic Wineries

DeLoach Vineyards

The percentage of vineyard land in Sonoma County certified organic or biodynamic is only growing.

Sonoma County wineries are among the leaders in the organic wine Biodynamic winemaking movement.

Organic wine is made from grapes that are farmed without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, creating a wine that uses very few additives. Biodynamic wines are crafted according to principles laid out by Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian social reformer, in 1920. Steiner’s principles now serve as the guidelines for Demeter Biodynamic® wine certification. To earn this certification, vintners must treat their vineyards like living organisms, use grapes farmed without pesticides or fertilizers, follow the sun for the growth of their products, and more.

Find out more about Biodynamic and organic grapes and wine at these Sonoma County wineries:

Benziger Family Winery, Glen Ellen

The insectary at Benziger Family Winery is home to numerous plants and bugs that are critical to the health of the vines — The insectary at Benziger Family Winery

Since receiving Demeter’s Biodynamic® certification status in 2000, Bezinger Family Winery has become a leader for sustainable viticulture in Sonoma County. The winery offers several opportunities to tour its picturesque property while also learning about their Biodynamic farming practices, including the 75-minute Biodynamic Tractor Tram Tour and the 90-minute Tribute Estate Tour & Tasting.

Amapola Creek Vineyards and Winery, Sonoma

Sonoma County wine legend Richard Arrowood gained notoriety as the winemaker for Chateau St. Jean in the 1970s. Nearly three decades later, he opened Amapola Creek, a small-batch winery known for its colorful Chardonnays and delightful Zinfandels, all of which contain certified organic grapes grown on Arrowood’s four estate vineyards.

Hamel Family Wines, Sonoma

Hamel Family Wines produces the highest quality wines in limited quantities from grapes grown on their Sonoma Valley and Moon Mountain District estate vineyards. They farm their vineyards with organic and Biodynamic practices, making them always mindful of their role as responsible stewards of the land.

Bartholomew Estate Winery, Sonoma

Image of the vineyards at Bartholomew Estate Winery in the Sonoma Valley. — Bartholomew Estate Winery

Bartholomew Estate Winery invites visitors to experience estate-grown wines from their CCOF certified organic vineyards. With classic Sonoma Valley soil and exposure, their vineyards, along with their long and distinguished history, are in the perfect spot to produce amazing vinos. Enjoy glorious views of the birthplace of Sonoma viticulture from the winery’s Oak Knoll.

Quivira Vineyards & Winery, Healdsburg

You know you’ve found Quivira when, after rounding a bend on winding West Dry Creek Road, you see their Biodynamic preparations tower jutting above a colorful garden of flowers, herbs, and veggies. Quivira now calls their approach to viticulture “holistic farming,” meaning that they adhere to the principles established by Rudolph Steiner, who inspired the Biodynamic wine movement. While pigs, chickens, and compost heaps abound, their estate Sauvignon Blanc and Grenache are remarkably clean, floral, and fruity.

Preston Farm & Winery, Healdsburg

Fruit trees, olive trees, lambs, chickens, fresh kale, and a herd of cats — where are the vineyards? Putting the farmyard back in the vineyard, Preston has become one of Sonoma County’s most dedicated advocates of the whole-farm approach to growing wines in balance with livestock, mixed agriculture, and natural systems. Preston buzzes with activity at its tasting room, bakery, and produce stand, but is also a laid-back place to have a picnic.

Truett Hurst Winery, Healdsburg

Frisky goats and sheep adjacent to a weedy vineyard are telltale signs that the Truett Hurst Winery on may be a little different from its neighbors. Their wines, while they don’t wear the label, are all certified Biodynamic. Take a glass of Zin and meander through the garden on the way to a colorful set of chairs down by Dry Creek, where the winery is participating in salmon-habitat-restoration efforts. Also sharing the property is VML Winery, which specializes in single-vineyard and barrel-select Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

DaVero Farms and Winery, Healdsburg

“Grow what belongs here. Be patient.” That’s the motto of DaVero Farms and Winery, whose journey began in 1999 in New York City with one glass of 1994 Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco. That one glass changed founder Ridgely Evers’ view on wine — and the course of his life — forever. An olive farmer for more than three decades, Evers decided to open a vineyard that would place its full trust in nature rather than adhering the modern viticulture practices. Today, guests can sample estate olive oil and rare Italian varietal wines while strolling through certified Biodynamic gardens, with stops to visit friendly pigs and a living dome formed of willow trees.

Deloach Vineyards, Santa Rosa

As a trailblazing producer and grower of Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, and Zinfandels in the Russian River Valley, DeLoach Vineyards brought two generations of sustainable winemaking experience to Sonoma County in 2003. The vineyard earned their organic certification by the California Certified Organic Farmers in 2008. From there, Deloach converted 17 acres of estate vineyards to Biodynamic farming methods, which earned the winery Demeter’s Biodynamic® certification status in 2009.

Horse & Plow, Sebastopol

Owners Suzanne Hagins and Chris Condos are so committed to making wine only from certified organic grapes, they say so right on the label! This husband and wife team, both career winemakers, have managed to put together a little garden oasis amid the apple trees of Sebastopol where they pour organic cider alongside wine fresh from the tap at their stylish tasting room. Look for their new certified organic wine — which means no sulfites added — like the Gewürztraminer Carneros and The Gardener Pinot Noir.

Other wineries that practice Biodynamic or organic farming in Sonoma County include: