Oddly, the hot topic of discussion in wine country nowadays seems to be all about cannabis. While legal for recreational and medicinal use for the most part in California, like it or not, cannabis farming has become a $4.4 billion booming business and is still growing. No pun intended.
While somewhat reluctant to broach the subject while wine tasting in Sonoma County a few days ago, the banter was always lively and engaging, no matter who you asked. In a short time, I learned that the majority of cannabis was grown in Humboldt County, processed in Mendocino County and distributed widely in Sonoma County, and that Napa County was not at all amused.
While Driving along Highway 116, I caught several wafts of fresh cannabis on alternating days, which caught me slightly off-guard. A fun fact – Santa Rosa Jr. College offers an agricultural hemp program to teach students about the hemp industry, focusing on plant science, soil and plant nutrition and cultivation as well as marketing hemp products to consumers.
Another fun fact – apparently, there is a specialty market called Solful in Sebastopol where “soccer moms” reportedly line up for cannabis infused products. I’m not sure why this surprised me, but it did. All this may be the makings of a good Netflix series.
Like anything controversial, there are several train of thoughts about whether cannabis should be melded with California’s $42 billion retail wine empire. A random sampling of tasting room hosts, winemakers and cannabis and wine enthusiasts along my travels, all felt very strongly about their reasons for keeping the two industries separate. Speaking on behalf of the wine purists and those not interested in having cannabis farms near their homes, schools or place of business, this collective group was opposed to the pungent aromas permeating the air, even detectable with indoor growing operations. [Read more…]
While the Russian River plays an important role in moderating temperatures for grape growing in the valley, it is also an important ecological habitat for warm and cold water fish migration and spawning and is well known to locals for its sandy beaches.
Just as enchanting as the winery’s namesake, is the bucolic setting of Ted and Heidi Lemon’s Littorai Wines nestled in the far reaches between Sebastopol and Freestone. Ted’s love of Burgundian-style wines began almost 40 years ago when he apprenticed at several famous Old World wine estates in France and studied enology at the Université de Bourgogne. As an accomplished young winemaker, he was the first American hired to manage Domaine Guy Roulot in Mersault, France. Fast forward to today, where Littorai’s single vineyard wines are internationally distributed in 14 countries and grace the wine lists of top restaurants nationwide.
This 30-acre farm is modeled on the 1920’s Philosopher/Scientist Rudolf Steiner’s vision of an integrated farm, combining a holistic, biodynamic approach to farming. Over half of the property is dedicated as open rangeland for the resident grazing cows, sheep and chickens. Organic legumes, edible flowers and cereals are cultivated and composted, and eventually formulated into natural tea sprays for the vines. Bees and insects are welcomed as no pesticides or fertilizers are used at Littorai.
On three acres, The Pivot Vineyard Pinot Noir, is the estate’s only vineyard. The remaining acreage is cloaked in Redwood trees and dotted with meandering streams and wildlife. Grapes for Chardonnay and other single vineyard Pinot Noir are sourced from the coastal mountains of Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, hence the name Littorai.
What makes a Littorai Pinot Noir from one coast different from the other? In short, a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir tends to have a more tannic structure, with spice tones (peppers, savory, sage, marjoram) while the Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is associated with lush fruit, blackberry, raspberry and plum. Yet, the Anderson Valley Pinot Noir combines the best of the tannins from the Sonoma Coast and the darker fruits of the Russian River Valley.
Keeping with the “green building” theme, Littorai’s winery is constructed of hay bale walls, which provide consistent insulation and temperature control in the cellar. Solar panels minimize the electric costs, and all excess water used in the winemaking process is recycled back into the vineyard. The winery is also designed for wine movement via gravity flow, to avoid the use of pumps.
Vineyard tours and tastings are by appointment only, and well worth the inside look at how biodynamic farming produces some of the finest Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Russian River Valley. 
