Mary Stubbs

When we think of Marin residents in concert with wine, it's often as appreciative consumers, not as pioneering growers. Yet two local wineries are on the cutting edge when it comes to practicing sustainable, organic agriculture -- Stubbs Vineyard and Pey-Marin/Mount Tamalpais Vineyards.

STUBBS: CERTIFIED ORGANIC AND GRID-FREE

Stubbs Vineyard is the county's first, and so far only, certified organic vineyard, growing 6.4 acres of Chardonnay and 4.6 acres of Pinot Noir grapes. Founders Tom and Mary Stubbs are pioneers in the local land-preservation movement: They were the second family to grant a conservation easement to the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) in the early 1980s, guaranteeing that the land would remain open farmland "in perpetuity."

The couple bought their 600 acres in 1982, and for years it was their weekend retreat. In 1992, when the first of their three children was born, they moved to the vineyard full-time, planting vines in 1996. Initially, they sold their crop to other vintners, but then they took the plunge and partnered with winemaker Dan Goldfield, releasing their first vintage in 2002.

Today, the Stubbses have created not only an organic showcase, but an operation that is "totally off the grid," generating power from a wind turbine and solar. Their two-ton truck, ATVs, and tiny tractor all run on biodiesel. Water comes from a spring, and a solar pump conveys it from a 10,000-gallon holding tank to the 3,000-gallon tank on the hill above the house.

Stubbs Vineyard is located in the far northern corner of Marin, where the fog from Tomales Bay often blankets the landscape in the evenings. The cool climate means the grapes take longer to mature. The fruit's long "hang time" makes the wine more complex, says Mary Stubbs, adding, "We get tiny berries that are very flavorful."

Tom, a fifth-generation farmer from England, handles the agricultural side of the operation, while Mary, who has a degree in viticulture, takes care of sales and marketing.

Not Easy Being Organic

The Stubbses' organic certification -- representing California Department of Food and Agriculture and Marin Organic Certified Agriculture standards -- is not bestowed casually. Mary Stubbs says the vineyard was closely monitored for three years to ensure that artificial chemicals were never used for fertilizer or weed control.

Not only is certification tough, but organic farming translates to a lot more work. For example, "If we were to use Roundup, one pass would get rid of weeds," she says of the widely used herbicide. "But using organic practices will require six passes - which is obviously six times the labor."

One organic weed killer they use to defeat morning glories (which twine around grapevines) is a concoction of molasses and heavily concentrated vinegar, sprayed carefully on the flowering weed. "The Dragon" is another weapon in the anti-weed arsenal - it shoots out flames that singe the weeds. Both methods are labor-intensive, accomplished by hand.

Feeding the Land

Sustainable farming means giving back to the land. Once the grapes have been harvested, usually in October, the Stubbses plant cover crops such as vetch, peas, and oats, which impart nutrients to the soil. Why commit to organic methods that are so demanding? "This land is connected to the watershed, and we are committed to preserving all the animal life in the watershed," says Mary Stubbs. "And we care about the health of our employees and of our family. "Beyond that, we'll bequeath this land to our children. We can't keep depleting the land. We have to feed it, or it will die."

Susan and Jonathan Pey, of San Anselmo, practice natural winegrowing on the 5.5 acres near Nicasio that they've planted with Pinot Noir and their 2 acres of Riesling. The wines are sold under the labels Pey-Marin and Mount Tamalpais.

THE PEYS: ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGES

Jonathan Pey

Jonathan Pey talks about the inspiration that led to their organic approach to growing. Their daughters were playing among the vines. "We had just sprayed herbicide, so we had to keep cautioning the girls not to roll around because it wasn't safe. Susan and I looked at each other and just got it: We could be here on this land 20 to 30 years but in that time do damage that could screw it up for 100 years. We decided to go for a healthier vineyard."

This flew in the face of what Pey was taught while earning his BS degree in agronomy. He says, "The curriculum was all about: If you have this problem, spray this or that; about maximum yield; there was no regard for the integrity of the land." >

The Problem with Nature: Risk

In addition to being more work, natural farming carries more immediate risk. "There are direct financial implications," Pey points out wryly. In 2006, the Peys lost half their crop to the botrytis fungus. "It was a wet spring, and about two weeks before harvest time we realized the fungus had gotten to 60 percent of the Riesling grapes. It was a disaster from a business point of view, but spiritually, it taught us that we aren't in control of everything."

Heading into this year's harvest, the Peys were optimistic. The weather had been dry and mild. A few hot days kicked off the harvest early. They began by bringing in one section of Pinot Noir grapes on September 14. Two weeks after that rush, they harvested the rest of the Pinot. Then in early October, with moderate rain in the forecast, they felt compelled to do a night pick to bring in their 2 acres of Riesling grapes, starting in the 3 a.m. cold and finishing in the afternoon.

The yield was dreadfully low - two tons per acre for the Riesling and under one ton an acre for the Pinot. "We have officially called this year a disaster. Financially it's a total loss," Pey said then. "Luckily, the quality looks extremely high. But the yield is really a drag after a whole year of work." The Pinot will be released in May 2009, the Riesling sometime during spring 2009.

Keeping the Long Term in View

Pey points out that the wine business, by its nature, attracts people capable of taking a long-term view, and this lends itself to thinking about the health of the planet: Like the Stubbses, the Peys use no sprays and no chemical fertilizers. They use natural cover crops such as yellow mustard and grasses to replenish the soil with nitrogen and micronutrients, and till, compost, and prune by hand.

"We use 100 percent rainwater - we don't take any water from MMWD," says Pey, referring to the Marin Municipal Water District. They have a berm reservoir on their land, and they practice dry farming, using drip irrigation during July, August, and September. This results in water use that Pey estimates is 75 percent less than what a California winery of similar size might use with conventional water management.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Stubbs Vineyard: www.stubbsvineyard.com

Pey-Marin / Mount Tamalpais Vineyards: www.marinwines.com