Organic Vineyard

Why an Organic Vineyard?

It all starts with the soil! So much care and attention is given to nursing and feeding the soil, so that the organic grapes are raised organically from the beginning to the end.  Every grape that goes into Frey wine is grown on an organic vine, in a vineyard that respects and utilizes organic practices. Because we value organic viticulture, we are committed to growing or sourcing exclusively organic grapes. When we started making wine in 1980, we grew all our own grapes. As we’ve expanded, we have partnered with organic farms to ensure that all the grapes we use for our organic wines come from an organic vineyard. We still grow many of our grapes at the home Frey Vineyards property. 

Who Lives in an Organic Vineyard?

Well, interestingly enough, a lot of the Frey family lives adjacent to the vineyards on the home ranch. So, we maintain organic spaces for our children to play, for folks to enjoy dog walks, and for the wild animals to roam without any contamination from chemicals.

Biodiversity in an Organic Vineyard

Over the years, cows, goats, sheep, chickens, and horses have been rotationally grazed through the vineyards to feed them on organic and wild plants and to increase the local soil fertility for the grapes. 

Animals

We know that countless wild species also call this vineyard home. In fact, we’ve identified dozens of birds and mammals at our Tomki Road location. We’ve even put up critter cams in the vineyards and surrounding wildlife areas to see who our neighbors are more clearly on camera. 

Plants

We maintain a biodiversity reserve surrounding all of the vineyards that is full of native trees, shrubs, vines, wildflowers, and ground covers. Over the years, we’ve also grown an array of organically crops in between the vineyard rows including peach trees, olive trees, pear trees, sunflowers, and many more. 

Cover crops

We sow an organic cover crop in the vineyards to overwinter while the grapes are dormant and then we till that cover crop into the soil in the Spring. 

Redwood Grove

As part of a land trust, Frey Vineyards has permanently conserved over 100 acres of redwood tree habitat adjacent to the vineyards. With one of the most inland stands of redwoods left in the area (not many trees are left this far inland because of massive logging campaigns in Northern California) we are committed to keeping this redwood habitat alive and well. 

Perennial Mother Garden

We cultivate native pollinator habitats in the form of biodynamic hedgerows planted out with a vast array of indigenous plants, particularly well suited to California’s climate and ecosystem.

Water

BioFiltro

Our BioFiltro set-up is a worm-powered wastewater treatment solution that turns waste from winemaking into nutrient-rich organic fertilizer that we apply back to the vineyards!

We tend to wastewater from the winery using a system of worm composting which upcycles the nutrients from winemaking and applies them back to the vineyards as organic fertilizer.

Pomace

We also compost our grape skins, seeds, and stems, and use this valuable, homegrown compost resource to tend to the organic fertility of land.

Organic Vineyard, Organic Wine

At Frey, we use organic grapes and organic yeasts to make organic wine. It’s worth noting that not all wines “made with organic grapes” are processed organically. In fact, many of the most popular “organic” brands are only “made with organic grapes,” but still use chemical additives (including sulfites) during the winemaking process. But at Frey, we use 100% organic grapes and 100% organic winemaking methods. Always have, always will. Every bottle of Frey has the USDA symbol to show that we are organic throughout the entire journey from the grape on the vine to the wine in the glass. Cheers & uncork the organic!