Grace+Vine, or how to produce climate-friendly wine, part 1
Introduction to Elaina’s Journey
I had the pleasure of discovering Grace + Vine during The Ecology Center’s 15th anniversary event last year. Patricia, their VP of Regenerative Outreach, was holding a booth that offered wine tasting, which offered a wonderful opportunity to learn more about their mission and initiatives. My first stop afterward was their website, which showcased their wines and a surprising wealth of information about soil health and the core of their mission: “help restore Earth’s carbon balance through the ecological, social, and economic power of regeneratively farmed wine.” https://graceandvine.com/, please go visit!
Later, I was able to catch up with the founder, Elaina Bertrand, who gathered Patricia Williamson and Andrew Smith as the chief operating officer to form Grace + Vine. These three wine veterans are joined together “inspired by the promise of building deeper purpose into our life’s work.”
Early Passion for Food and Wine
Elaina’s journey into the world of food and wine started right after college. She had always cherished the moments spent gathering around the table with family, sharing meals, and enjoying wine. These moments, deeply rooted in her very Catholic family upbringing, are some of the best memories from her childhood. This affinity for food and wine was ingrained in her from the get-go. When she moved to San Francisco for school, she decided to take a couple of wine classes despite being a music and creative writing major. She had always thought she would figure out how to make a living at some point, and wine sales seemed like an exciting field where she could still use her artistic side while earning a paycheck.
Building a Career in Wine
Elaina’s career in wine began 20 years ago. Over that time, she has worked in various roles, including sales, marketing, and management. She has had the privilege of working with some wonderful vintners and producers who, for whatever reasons, were all organic growers. One of these producers was a pioneer in California from Santa Barbara’s organic movement, and working with them gave her a deeper understanding of sustainable viticulture practices. This exposure led her to learn more about regenerative agriculture, and she realized how rare even her organic vintner background was. Her passion for food and wine has always been driven by the people involved, and the relationships she has built over the years have been incredibly rewarding.
Discovering Regenerative Agriculture
There was a significant moment in Elaina’s journey when she realized she needed to do more for the environment without feeling hopeless about it. Learning about regenerative agriculture, which creates carbon sinks and has the potential to reverse climate change, was a transformative experience for her. She thought to herself, “Everyone should know about this.” Despite not being a scientist or a farmer, Elaina decided to use her wine background and the little wine label she had been dreaming of creating as a platform to educate consumers. This realization brought everything together, and she felt a strong sense of purpose.
Expanding the Network of Sustainable Vineyards
In starting Grace and Vine, Elaina had some contacts with organic vineyards but also felt the need to explore and find more producers growing the way she was looking for and making conscious wines. Grace + Vine buys grapes and wine, preferring to find wine that has already been made, then blend and finish it. This method aligns with the traditional French négociant model, where wine merchants would buy wine from various producers, blend it, and sell it under their own label. To this day, Elaina is still very excited about discovering other sustainable vineyards. Grace + Vine’s main facility is in Gaston, Oregon, on an organic vineyard. They also have a small tasting room open by appointment during the summer.
Understanding Farming Methods
I asked Elaina to briefly explain the farming methods she approves of and respects in her own words.
At a minimum, she looks for organic farming methods, which involve inputs and amendments from the earth. Organic farms must adhere to regulations from the organization for which they want certification. At least you are not using inorganic pesticides and herbicides in the soil. Elaina mentioned that it is better for ingestion for a person, and the process does help preserve the soil. The primary focus is not on soil health, but it’s a good start.
Elaina likes to describe biodynamic farming as organic farming on steroids. It is next level; there are more rules and regulations that adhere to a seasonal calendar. It follows the moon cycles, and she sees this process as following everything that is the water cycle from the earth to the sky from the effect of the moon’s gravitational pull. They are very conscious of what is added to the soil, and all inputs are organic. This movement does care about the ecosystem; however, Elaina finds it is not their main focus.
Looking at both processes, they are more about the best way to grow your plant.
Some aspects of regenerative agriculture we can tell consumers are that we can sequestrate carbon and reverse climate change, but it is only one aspect. Regarding regenerative farming, it focuses on creating a thriving ecosystem, which in turn will support healthy plant growth. This holistic approach is what excites Elaina about regenerative agriculture. It’s not just about the plant but the entire ecosystem created by a biodiverse landscape. “There is homeostasis in nature”. There is diversity and inclusion; livestock is a part of this thriving ecosystem and is no longer considered an enemy. Nature needs all that diversity to thrive. She finds more comes from the regenerative world in that way.
As Elaina said, If we are going to distill it down, soil health matters most in regenerative agriculture.”
Look for part 2, where we will discuss transitioning to nonconventional vineyard farming, education, supporting local farmers, and more.