My winemaking starts in the vineyard. I want total control over farming practices and to take that fruit directly to the bottle, from pruning to picking, we're there.

I work with vineyards that meet my expectations of organic farming: minimally managed, farmed by someone intentional, someone who shares a philosophy of regenerative farming, carbon sequestration, and minimizing chemical agents in an agricultural setting, given their well-known effects on wildlife.

Working with Ross Cannard, for example, I appreciate how minimally managed the vineyard is. To some people it looks almost terrifying, but I see absolute natural beauty. No harsh straight lines, perfect cordons, perfect stakes, bare ground. The complete opposite. It is wild. He only tills once a year, prunes, suckers, and does one spray if needed. When you consider that, then try the wines, there is a vitality to them. Something that feels real. And if you're looking through an environmental lens, which I do most of the time, it is also more responsibly farmed.

These are the vineyards I work with, the ones that feel like they have a real personality. Vines have history and meaning, and therefore vineyards have importance right now, at this moment. If you listen, as I try to do, they have some ability to tell a story. We've made vintages entirely from estate-farmed fruit, but we also buy fruit from old connections, friendships, or well-vetted sources. My priority is that the practices are sound, organic, minimal, sustainable, and environmentally focused.