When we hear a pop of a cork being extracted from a bottle, we all start to salivate in anticipation of that first sip. This excitement is followed by the sound of wine pouring into a glass as the light reflects the bright liquid gold of a Chardonnay or the deep cherry hue of a Pinot Noir. After we clink glasses to cheers, we are finally rewarded with the delicious taste of the wine. If you are a wine lover, then this is an experience you’ve enjoyed many times. And if you are new to wine, this might be an experience you are just embarking on.

No matter your relationship with wine, the pop of the cork is a shared experience of exhilaration. But what if we told you that what lies beyond the cork is not always the same? Each bottle houses a story, and the grapes grown to make the wine can tell an even bigger story. Just as purchasing an organic apple vs. a conventional apple has a different taste, look, and feel, so do the wines we love to enjoy based on how the grapes are grown.

That’s where biodynamic viticulture or grape growing comes into play. Biodynamic agriculture is a whole farm approach, that combines intense natural practices commonly found in organic farming along with the addition of unique preparations intended to stimulate plant and biological life as well as to bring the farm into balance with the natural rhythms of the earth, the sun, the moon, and the other planets. These methods of farming that were established 1924 by Rudolf Steiner.

“Biodynamic agriculture is a way of living, working and relating to nature and the vocations of agriculture based on good common-sense practices, a consciousness of the uniqueness of each landscape, and the inner development of each and every practitioner” (quote from the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association). Today, the Demeter Association is the only certifier for biodynamic farms, and sets the standards to earn this certification based on a winery’s commitment to nurturing the whole ecosystem to improve the health of the vineyards that offers biodiversity in soil fertility and the sustainable management of pests, weeds, water, and potential disease.

At its core, grape growing is agriculture and one of the biggest challenges to agriculture is the amount of greenhouse emissions that are released into the atmosphere. The solution? Regenerative farming which is what biodynamic farming practices aims to achieve through integrating livestock, building compost, utilizing cover crops, and prohibiting the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.

Winderlea Wines are Biodynamic Certified

Here at Winderlea, our commitment to adopting biodynamic wines practices was important from the start. As a certified B Corporation, committed to using business as a force for good, we are accountable to more than the bottom line: we are also accountable to our environmental footprint. Adapting biodynamic vineyard practices was a logical extension of this value system to build a sustainable business. We have been farming according to Biodynamic® practices since 2009, and earned Demeter Biodynamic® Certification in 2015.

Our vineyards are located within the Dundee Hills of Oregon nestled in the Willamette Valley where we grow pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot blanc to produce limited production wines you can enjoy any day of the week.

Sip with Confidence

What does all of this mean for when you open a bottle and pour your next glass of wine? When you enjoy Winderlea wines, you can sip with confidence knowing that the truest care was put into producing our wines, in supporting the land and entire ecosystem that we touch. The next time you receive a bottle of Winderlea wine, you are doing your part to support environmentally sustainable companies, and when the pop the cork can be heard, we hope you can taste the purest expression of place.

Now that you’ve unboxed your shipment, we want to make sure you maximize your experience of enjoying Winderlea wines at your table. When it comes to food pairing, think of it as a game of matching and compliments. For example, the acid in the wine balances or compliments saltiness. Acid also helps to cut through creamy textures and meat proteins. When it comes to the weight of the wine, matching the weight of the food and wine is critical so that neither the wine nor the food will overpower the other.

When it comes to building a business with purpose, earning the B Corp stamp of approval was important to us at Winderlea. But, what is a B Corp and what does it have to do with wine? We’re glad you asked.

A Benefit Corporation or B Corp is a corporate business structure and certification that has to be earned through a rigorous assessment detailing how a company takes steps to support the triple bottom line of people, profit and planet. To become B Corp-certified, high standards have to be met which include a company’s legal accountability to social and environmental performance, transparency in business, and a commitment to balance profit, people, planet, and purpose.

In other words, in order to see the change we want to see in the world, we’re taking a lead within our industry to be purpose-driven therefore creating benefit for all stakeholders, not just the shareholders.

Winderlea earned B Corp status in the spring of 2015, making us the second winery in Oregon and fourth in the world, to achieve this comprehensive business certification. We are proud to be a part of a global community of more than 3,500 businesses, from 150 different industries, creating sustainable and ethical companies across 70 countries (and counting).

What does the B Corp Certification have to do with wine?

Since wine at its roots is an agricultural product, our business touches the environment as much as it does the people who enjoy the wine. We are also committed to having a positive impact on our hard working employees through fair wages and a host of benefits. For all of these reasons, that is why we are committed to building a sustainable and socially responsible business.

When it comes to our farming practices, we take the stewardship of our land seriously. The Winderlea Vineyard has been farmed Biodynamic® since 2009 and earned Demeter Biodynamic® Certification in 2015, which means we follow specific farming practices that considers the whole farm as one living organism. This touches every aspect of what we do from the way we process and handle the soil, to the livestock who chew the grass in between the vines, to planting non-genetically engineered vines, to the non-use of artificial fertilizers or chemical pesticides. Our vineyards are looked upon as one ecosystem and it is our responsibility to ensure it is as healthy as possible to produce high-quality wines.

By following these farming practices, we are able to reduce yields (how many grapes we grow per year) to develop more concentrated flavors, and improve canopy efficiency resulting in improved fruit and wine quality that doesn’t harm the environment.

What this means for you:

If you’ve read this far, we know we’re going to get along just fine! If we had to guess, you most likely value businesses that are committed to more than just profits. We’d also venture to guess that you want to feel good and drink well. Why not feel good when making your wine purchase as much as you enjoy each sip?

In addition to our exceptional, limited-production wines and sustainable farming practices, we also created a give back program. With every purchase you make, we are also contributing financially to organizations we believe in. That is to say that every purchase you make has a deep impact on the world around us. We are longstanding supporters of ¡Salud!, an incredible organization that provides medical services to our incredible vineyard workers. We also support The Roots Fund, an organization committed to investing in the Black, Indigenous, and Latinx wine community to provide opportunities to those seeing a career and/or education in all aspects of wine. Why not raise a glass to enjoy exceptional, hand-crafted wines while knowing you are supporting a socially responsible business that is held accountable by a third party?

We believe that business can be a force for good. That is what we are committed to being an ethical business by bringing good wines to the table that are socially and environmentally responsible. Thank you for supporting us in that mission.