On the Wings of a Pig

Young Morgan Twain-Peterson pressing wine

“Ad Astra Per Alia Porci
To the Stars on the Wings of a Pig”

-John Steinbeck

Vineyard worker driving tractor with freshly harvested red grapes

Bedrock Wine Co. was started in 2007 by Morgan Twain-Peterson. Working out of a small converted chicken coop in a friend’s backyard, Morgan focused on making personality-filled wines wrought from a small array of thoughtfully farmed vineyards. Over time the chicken coop and its outdoor fermenters and tiny basket press gave way to production at another friend’s winery and eventually to the “elegant” tin-sided warehouse that is now called home. In addition, after six years of working alone the winery welcomed Chris Cottrell as a partner-in-crime along with a small, dedicated staff of highly decent human beings.

Bird sitting atop vines that have been pulled out at Bedrock Vineyard

The winery is first and foremost a mission-driven operation dedicated to preserving and rehabilitating old vineyards around California. These vineyards, planted by California’s viticultural pioneers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, are living pieces of history. Not only are we able to draw inspiration from those very pioneers, but we get to actually use the materials they planted, which have survived two world wars, Prohibition and a constantly changing marketplace. If something has been growing for over 100 years it not only deserves the respect of us humans, but it probably makes some darn good wine too.

Though oftentimes Zinfandel, these vineyards are also planted to Mataro (Mourvedre), Carignan, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, Grenache, Semillon, Gewurztraminer, Trousseau Gris and Riesling along with dozens of others. The beautiful diversity of our vineyards is certainly a challenge, but it is equally exciting. Charles de Gaulle said, ‘how can you govern a country with 264 types of cheese?' but he did, and with great aplomb. We choose to embrace the challenge of capturing greatness from the viticultural puzzle that is an old vine field blend vineyard.

The winery is also dedicated to taking advantage of the diverse terroirs of California and their capacity to make an enormous range of styles, be it delicate and perfumed rosé, barrel-fermented whites, or violet and pepper-tinged Syrah. We are always exploring—from the heart of Oakville in Napa to the northern reaches of Mendocino and gold hills of Amador, the vastness of Lodi and the beaches of Contra Costa to every corner of Sonoma. Each year, if we are lucky, we find something quirky and new. Throughout all the wines, though, is a dedication to making wines that maintain poise while being infused with California sun. And, most importantly, that are delicious.

Farming

By buying Bedrock wine, you are helping us push the conversation forward regarding how well-managed agriculture can improve the world we live in while providing a soulful and history-filled libation.

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.

AKA the Bedrock Lowdown

Farming