Organic California Wine

June 1, 12:06 PMDallas Wine ExaminerDebbie Meyer-Gore

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Little did I know that organic California wine and farming practices would be somehow related to that last publisher where I sent my new book, Recipe for Life, Making Sense of the Forks in the Road. Not only that, but I found them while researching wine topics for my examiner articles. Writing my self-enhancement book and writing for wine examiner are two of my focuses and to find a relationship between the two of them was of great interest.

I chose to send my manuscript to them to review for book publishing because of their dedication to health and well-being. Rodale Press, started by Jerome Rodale (1898-1971) was revolutionary in the 60’s. Rodale, a New York son of a grocer, and organic foods pioneer believed healthy soil required compost and eliminating poisonous pesticides and artificial fertilizers. His inspiration came from botanist Sir Albert Howard. Rodale believed strongly that eating plants grown in such soil would then help humans stay healthier. In 1942, he began an Organic Farming and Gardening magazine and today their soil scientists and a cooperating network of researchers have documented that organic farming techniques offer the best solution to global warming and famine.

The Rodale Institute was founded in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, in 1947. Their Farming Systems Trial® is the longest-running U.S. study comparing organic and conventional farming techniques and is the basis for practical training to thousands of farmers in Africa, Asia and the Americas. 

Avid readers and followers of some early Rodale publications like "Amigo Bob" (aka Bob Cantisano) became a consultant to many vintners. He helps vintners find natural solutions for diseased plants and helps with the organic and biodynamic transition. His understanding of viticulture and horticulture is invaluable. Bob farmed organically in the Sierra Foothills in the 70’and now nearly 40 years later is considered the go-to organic consultant for numerous food farmers and dozens of wineries, including Adelsheim, Calera, Frog's Leap, Honig, Morgan, Shafer, Staglin, Storybook Mountain, Tres Sabores and Turley.

The number of acres of organically farmed wine grapevines in California has tripled since 2004, according to California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), the state's largest organic certifying agency. Of the world's annual production of 30 billion liters of wine, about 600 million are now deemed organic or biodynamic, and that number is growing by 20 percent per year. And to think, Rodale was on the cutting edge. I wish he could have lived long enough to see the fruits of his labor.