Fundamental to rehabilitating ancient vineyards is thoughtful farming. At Bedrock we utilize some of the most progressive farming in the industry to repair denuded soils and rebuild broken biological systems. Though Bedrock Vineyard is certified organic, we feel this is just the start. On top of this, we focus on holistic and agroecological principles to build diversity, minimize soil disturbance, integrate animals, and regenerate our landscapes. In the process, we greatly improve water capture and carbon sequestration, making our vineyards more resilient to the extremities of weather experienced in this era. We believe firmly that properly done agriculture can be of great service to the entire ecosystem around us—from humans to earthworms to fungi—and we relish the journey as we continually work to perfect our vineyard practices.

In doing so, we look to certain pillars of regenerative farming.

Diversity

Because grapes are a perennial cropping system it is critical to increase biodiversity of all types around the vines. We grow diverse cover crops of over 20 different plant species from 7-8 plant families during the Winter and Spring and utilize thousands of native plants in insectary rows and pollinator pathways throughout the year. We provide habitat for birds and beneficial insects via these crops along with owl boxes and raptor roosts throughout our vineyards.

Minimal Disturbance of Soil 

Core to our practices is protecting soil microbiology and holding carbon in our soils via non-till practices. Increased carbon means increase water capture and water holding capacity which is critical in a state where water is scarce.

Protect the Soil 

Via the use of crimping, we protect the soil from direct sunlight, protecting soil biology and also cooling the overall mesoclimate of the vineyard—something that gives us resilience in the face of extreme heat events.

Animal Integration

We use season adapted grazing to replicate the way ruminant animals move across the land in nature. We intensely graze with a large number of animals for a short period of time and then allow cover crops to regrow prior to crimping. We have seen a 4x increase in soil microbiology and a large jump in carbon sequestration by re-integrating animals into our cropping systems.

Context 

There is no prescribed way to farm as each situation is different. What is possible on the volcanic soils of Sonoma Valley where we got 35 inches of rain a year is different than what we can do at Evangelho Vineyard planted in deep sands that gets 10” of annual rain. The importance is that we focus on the best, most beneficial practices, for that site.