It’s time to go dry. …Dry farmed wines, that is. In an era where the label “sustainable” is broadly applied with no consistency, we’re narrowing our focus to one specific practice where going with nature is mandatory. Dry farming means the only water your grapes will ever get is from real, straight-from-the-sky rain.
Many regions in Spain, Italy, and France (including Burgundy and Bordeaux) have practiced dry farming for centuries. For them, doing anything otherwise would almost be considered detrimental to the quality of the grapes. But in drought-ridden California, irrigation is commonplace amongst many vineyards. In fact, if non-drought tolerant varietals are planted, irrigation is required.
There are three major reasons we love dry-farmed wines:
1. Eco friendly: No watering needed! In the long term, dry-farmed wines are better for the soil. For soil to retain water, farmers must till the ground and plant appropriate cover crops, all of which helps the soil’s microbiome.
2. Vine health: Dry farmed vines are often stronger and more disease-resistant
3. Complexity: Without irrigation, dry-farmed grape vines are forced to grow deeper roots into ground, past the topsoil and down to rock. This leads them to gather more nutrients and minerals, which many feel leads to wines with more depth and complexity.
Here’s a list of our favorite dry-farmed California wines:
Bucklin Old Hill Ranch Bambino Field Blend
Famed for its old-vine Zinfandel, Bucklin is also a vocal champion of dry farming in Sonoma. Try the Bucklin Bambino, a red blend brimming with bright wild berry and spice, retailing at around $28. The 2014 is a blend of 81% Zinfandel, 9% Petite Sirah, 4% Alicante Bouchet, 6% Syrah, Grenache and Carignane.
Frog’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon (Estate Grown)
Sustainability is key at this Rutherford, Napa Valley winery. Not only does Frog’s Leap engage in dry farming; it also has a 100% solar powered winery and certified organic vineyards. Try their award-winning estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon ($57), which exudes rich, dark fruit while retaining a cool-climate vibrancy.
Failla Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
For such award-winning Pinot Noir, it may come as a surprise that Failla also makes sustainability a huge priority. In addition to being dry-farmed, their vineyard is also organic. Weeds are hoed by hand, and nitrogen-fixing cover crops replace fertilizer. While you can’t go wrong with any of their wines, start out with the flagship Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ($36.99), which expresses pure, clean red fruit along with a streak of warm spice.
Stolpman Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc
OK, so technically this isn’t complete dry farming. Stolpman irrigates vines for the first few years of their youth, and then gradually lowers irrigation until the vines are free of “artificial” water. However, Stolpman makes a brilliant Sauvignon Blanc at just $22, so it’s worth including on this list. It has refreshingly crisp citrus and lemon curd aromas, while still retaining a lovely weightiness on the palate.
Gary Farrell McDonald Mountain Pinot Noir
We are Gary Farrell fans, so finding out that at least one of their Pinot Noirs is dry-farmed was quite exciting. The McDonald Mountain Vineyard is nestled into an area with cooling fog, higher altitude, and dry farming practices lead to smaller, flavor-packed grapes. On the palate, a lovely balance of ripe fruit (cherry cola, berry jam) and earth (herbs, mushroom) make this a wonderfully rich wine. The 2015 vintage will release in May 2017.
Interested in discovering more conscientiously-made wines? Check out our list of wines vetted to be free of major heavy metals, environmental contaminants, and glyphosate here.
