Support clean viticulture

Ross Cannard, who grows our grapes, is a farmer of the highest caliber. In addition to tending vines, he grows fruit and veggies for the legendary Chez Panisse. In our first year working with him, Ross used several progressive farming techniques. For example, he didn't till the vineyard. This is a standard  practice for weed control results in increased erosion and muddies local streams. He didn't irrigate in the belief that dry-farmed vines produce more interesting grapes, albeit with lower yields. He used a wait-and-see approach to guarding against vine pests, and with frequent monitoring avoided making a single spray pass to control the almost-ubiquitous Powdery Mildew. 

These unorthodox farming decisions conserve Sonoma's most precious natural resource: water.

 Equally important, Ross offers a progressive profit-sharing incentive program to his employees. This payment system develops vineyard team buy-in and greater economic security. We are very fortunate to work with a farmer dedicated to the sustainable ideals of regenerative agriculture and social equity.

We believe the most interesting way to make wine is with minimal additives and maximum transparency, at an accessible price. Fresh Wines aims to make delicious wine, support our local and business community members, and always work towards carbon draw-down and climate resiliency. 

In the cellar, we have decided to make only one addition besides grapes: a small dose of SO2 (a modest 25 ppm before bottling) to preserve the wine for market. Making wine without commercial inputs requires rigorous sanitation and ancient techniques. We use native yeast, neutral barrels, lees stirring, and foot treading to ensure the wine tastes great while staying true to our ideals. We're convinced that minimal intervention wines are tastier and  most authentic to their site.