In July, 1999, our family planted eight acres of Pinot Noir, as well as a small amount of Pinot Gris, on our ten-acre, Olivet Grange estate on Olivet Road in the Russian River Valley, a cool-climate region in western Sonoma County renowned for its Burgundian grape varieties.

From the outset, we have been committed to employing environmentally responsible, sustainable farming practices in our vineyard and natural winemaking techniques in our production facility. This approach is designed to ensure that Inman Family wines express the true character of the grape and place from which they are made.

In developing our Olivet Grange vineyard, we preserved the majestic oak trees that grace the property and avoided sterilizing the soil, in order to maintain its natural ecology. Today, we use only organic fertilizers in the vineyard. Among these is “Four-Course Compost,” so named because it derives from table scraps discarded by high-end San Francisco restaurants and hotels such as The Slanted Door, Aqua, Boulevard, The Fairmount, Farallon, Hotel Nikko, Jardinière, Lulu, Sheraton Place, Tadich Grill, and the Westin St. Francis. In addition to being a nutrient-rich alternative to synthetic fertilizers, our gourmet compost helps us form a perfect loop from table to earth and back again, in the form of sustainably produced wines that enhance the meals providing the raw materials to renew the cycle.

We also use worm castings, obtained from Sonoma Valley Worm Farm, to create an easily assimilated bio-fertilizer rich in nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. The castings enhance the soil’s ability to absorb atmospheric moisture, aiding water economy and aeration. Another soil-enhancing technique we employ is to run microbial teas through our drip irrigation system. Applied three times a year, the teas introduce a diverse spectrum of beneficial microorganisms that improve soil and plant health and aid the vines’ natural resistance to pests and disease.

Only organically certified herbicides and fungicides are used at our Olivet Grange Vineyard. To deal with weeds which have already sprouted, we use vinegar or clove oil based products which burn the weeds but are safe for the soil. To prevent weeds form germinating, we spread cornmeal gluten which we mix with the Four Course Compost and Wormcastings and spread in the autumen and again in the spring. The corn meal gluten also provides a slow release dose of nitrogen to the soil.

To further promote a healthy ecosystem, we have planted permanent cover crops, which have the side benefit of producing higher quality grapes by forcing the vines to compete for water and soil nutrients, resulting in smaller berries with more concentrated flavors. (Close vine spacing – 6’x 4’ in our vineyard – also promotes more flavorful grapes.)

Once cover crops are established, simple mowing keeps the vineyard tidy and well-groomed. Because there is no tilling of the soil, the vineyard requires less use of fossil fuel for tractor use, and its population of earthworms is preserved. Cover crops also mitigate soil erosion from wind and rain and serve as habitats for beneficial insects that feed on vine pests such as mites and leafhoppers, minimizing the use of pesticides.

The key to quality winemaking is harvesting properly ripened fruit. Unlike many California wineries today that strive for maximum concentration and power (a trend inspired largely by a few influential wine critics), we do not let our grapes hang on the vine past the point of ripeness. Over-ripeness produces wines that are overly alcoholic and low in acidity. In order to achieve balance in such wines, winemakers must literally water down the must (the unfermented juice and skins) or reduce the wine’s alcohol through a mechanical process known as reverse osmosis. They also must add large amounts of acid. These practices are increasingly common in California (as is the use of enzymes during fermentation to enhance volatile aromas and mouth-feel), and result in manipulated, over-worked wines which, while they may deliver heft and richness, lack nuance, subtlety, charm and varietal clarity.

This is a particularly important issue with Pinot Noir, a variety whose range of enchanting cherry, berry, pomegranate, and potpourri herbal scents (tea leaf, lavender, dried rose) are easily sacrificed to over-ripeness, which also can compromise Pinot Noir’s velvety texture, complex, delicate flavors, and supple tannins. While some California producers rationalize their use of overripe fruit as a means of avoiding Pinot Noir’s herbal/forest floor aromas (often disparaged as “greenness”), such characteristics are, in fact, typical of the medium range of ripeness in the variety and are qualities prized by the French. Conversely, Burgundian vintners typically find the raisiny, pruny flavors found in many California Pinot Noirs to be inappropriate and disagreeable.

Because the Russian River appellation enjoys a long, cool growing season that allows for steady, even ripening, our estate Pinot Noir grapes achieve full ripeness at moderate sugar levels and with healthy natural acidity, enabling us to produce rich, fresh, balanced wines of moderate alcohol that reflect the variety’s true range of aromas and flavors and beautifully complement a wide range of cuisines.

Once our fruit is brought into the winery, we treat it as gently as possible, using gravity flow, rather than pumps, to transfer the must from crusher to fermenting tank and the wine from fermenting tank to press and then to barrel. We prefer natural clarification to excessive fining or filtration and, for aging, employ only a small percentage of new oak, choosing to let our wines mature primarily in neutral barrels in order to showcase our vineyard’s wonderful fruit.

In short, at Inman Family Wines, we endeavor to make our wines as naturally as possible, with as little human intervention as possible, to ensure they embody not only the pure personality of the grapes from which they’re made, but also the singular character of the place where they’re born.