Can Wine Save the Planet?
There are so many stories to share! These stories are a connected network, just like the mycelium and mycorrhizae in the soil that connect all the plants.
These stories feed us as the network feeds the vine, working symbiotically to support those who read the stories, those who write them, and the people living the stories!
Here, you will find the nuggets of wisdom that we and our group of writers discover along the way. We will also share some of the stories we have discovered in the past.
Lastly, this will be our behind-the-scenes diary of the project, where we will tell our story throughout the process.
I hope you will join us!
Update July 2026
We have been in Active Production filming segments in 2025 and are doing pickup shots throughout 2026.
We are assembling and editing the first feature and Biodynamic series episodes. We are working on creating a shooting schedule for 2027 for overseas filming in 2027.
The first feature is now currently shooting for a release date in 2028. Biodynamic series release in 2027.
We will have more information in the coming months with a fundraising campaign to help push this to release status this fall.
The regions we will cover include the USA, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, Australia, Turkey, and Greece. (Just a couple of countries!) This is a global outreach.
Can Wine Save the Planet?
Can Wine Save the Planet?
is the name of our First Feature Film, but this project is much bigger than that.
This is not just a one-and-done film. It is a multiyear project with 3 Feature Films plus additional Film shorts to be presented at Film Festivals starting in 2027
There will be educational videos available on our YouTube channel.
Along with Video Diary shorts on Social Media.
This project will follow the path of these vintners and others across the globe as they find new and innovative ways to work. It won’t happen overnight, but we will be there to catch the progress.
We have assembled a network of writers to help us tell these stories.
These writers are passionate about wine and are spread around the globe to give us perspectives from different regions.
We want to gather a following of like-minded people who want to make a difference. People who want to be involved in changing the conversation and supporting solutions.
In healthy soil, you find a network of mycelia.
These threads of mycelia connect at least 95% of the plants on our planet in what are called “mycorrhizal networks.”
These healthy networks feed and support the plants.
Think of this project as our own “mycorrhizal network,” sharing and supporting the work of these vineyards, making delicious wine while helping to save the planet.
Former Cowhorn owner Bill Steele told us during an interview on Biodynamics, “In biodynamics, we found our people.” In a sense, we also found our own people through winemakers, writers, and advocates, all working separately towards the same goal.
Can Wine Save the Planet?
I suppose you could grab a bottle and forget all the worries of the world. But beyond that this industry is diving into a multitude of ways to support the environment
Vineyards both large and small are embracing farming methods that revitalize their soils without chemicals. This in turn sequesters carbon which my friends are a huge factor in mitigating climate change.
Beyond that they are reducing their carbon footprints with renewable energy, waste reclamation, & conservation, creating biodiversity on their properties, reducing their impact on the environment by finding new and old packaging methods.
Finally, they are looking at the people creating community & Respect within their teams and beyond in their larger community.
Each Vineyard has its own path, its own story. By sharing these stories, they inspire a movement which yes my friend could save the planet.
What is that goal?
To have a purpose that is meaningful, providing better food, making a wine that you are proud to share with family and friends, leaving the place and planet better than you found it.
Our goal for this project is to show that these methods work and encourage other vintners and farmers to use these practices.
And to raise public awareness, so when you share a bottle of wine with friends, you know that you are not only going to enjoy something delicious, but you are supporting a winery that is trying to make the planet better!
We need your help in spreading the word about this project, Share this Video with your friends and Family. Help us build this community and add your voice.
We have a Fiscal Sponsor, “The International Documentary Association, to help us fund this project, and your donation can be tax deductible.
On the International Documentary Association Donation Page, you can help us fund this movie.
You can donate any amount, 10, 20, 50, 100, or more, to help us capture these different stories.
Thousands of small donations will allow us to show the world we can make a change.
If you have a Fundraising Background and would like to help or
If you would like to be a Sponsoring Partner, Please contact US!
Michael@42aspens.com
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Animals in the Vineyard
This is our final Video Diary for this year 2025. We will be back with lots more video content. We will be filming until 2026 to finish up the shooting for the First Feature to be released in 2027.
This short gives you a quick look into the movement of the Tablas Creek Vineyard flock. A couple of Atmospheric rivers are set to hit today for the next couple of days and another one over the weekend.
The flock was in the vineyard, they moved them to their pasture near their Red Barn so they can have shelter for the storms.
Shepherding a Flock and how it works in a Vineyard will be one of many stories Can Wine Save the Planet will cover.
Visit https://www.canwinesavetheplanet.com
Enjoy a short look into how the Herd is moved.
Happy Holidays and New Year!
see you next Year
#canwinesavetheplanet #savetheplanet #biodynamicwines #Regenerative #Earthday #earthday2024 #gogreen #documentary # EcoFriendly #Wine #Organic #Farming #soilhealth #farming #farmliketheworlddependsonit #Savetheplanet #SustainableLiving #ActOnClimate #GreenEnergy #ClimateChange #Biodiversity #SustainableAgriculture #GreenFuture #OnePlanet #shepherdingaflock
Michael & Robin Renken
Can Wine Save the Planet?
When it comes to this crazy harvest, Steve is pretty happy. Beckmen Vineyards started harvest on September 19th.
When we visited in late October, they were still looking at quite a bit more harvest. In fact, it was not until November 14th that they finished harvesting for the season. Long, slow, and manageable. He expects that the wines this year will be beautiful.
This vintage was so odd in California, with heavy spring rains that caused shatter in many areas as the vines were in bloom. The summer remained cool, without the heat spikes that the vignerons have become accustomed to in recent years.
Harvest was later, after spending years getting earlier and earlier. I guess that is why we call it “climate change.” If there is one thing I have heard from winemakers around the globe is that the only thing predictable about weather and climate these days is its unpredictability.
Luckily for many of the wineries we spoke with, they have had a slow and steady harvest, allowing them time to bring in fruit in a steady stream without having to quickly empty tanks and make room for too many bins.
Many winemakers have time for extra care for each of the wines as they come in without the rush of a compacted harvest.
The following morning, we drove out to the Thomas and Judith Beckmen Estate Vineyard to catch the crew harvesting the long block of Mourvèdre that grows on the roadside as you drive into the property.
Steve had mentioned yesterday that since they had a lull in harvest, he decided to pick this Mourvèdre a little early and make rosé.
I asked Steve about biodynamic practices on this property, where their winery and tasting room are located. On this property, he uses the practices but is not certified.
Given its proximity to neighboring farms, there is a potential risk of contamination from their spraying activities. It is worth noting that the vegetable farm adjacent to the vineyard has recently transitioned to organic practices.
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Can Wine Save the Planet?
The harvest crew at Tablas is out so early for a couple of reasons. Harvesting early means the grapes are cool and are less likely to break, and this allows them to work an 8-hour shift starting at 3 am, with a break for lunch at 7 am, then on to around 11:30 am, finishing before the heat of the day.
The next pick of the day was on Scruffy Hill. This was a section of Mourvédre in this head-trained and very steep block. The crew asked me to snap a crew shot as they gathered to start.
Scruffy Hill is planted to low density, which means there is space around each of the vines. On this hill they are spaced 12 x 12, which gives them about 350 vines per acre. This spacing makes this block more resilient during drought and heat events.
The block is also head-trained or Gobelet, as they call it in France. This method grows the vine like a bush or small tree. Gobelet refers to a goblet, which is the shape, the trunk as the stem with the vine rounding out above it.
This method is traditionally used in Chateauneuf du Pape. While it is much less expensive to plant, without all the trellising posts and wires, it does require a greater effort at harvest. These vines must be hand-harvested.
Of course everything at Tablas is hand-harvested, but trellised vines allow an ease of picking, with vines all in a straight line and the fruiting zone at a set height. It’s a bit more complex with a head-trained vine.
Scuffy Hill soil is difficult walking, your feet slide in the loose rocks on the steep slope.
This block, that is home to much of the fruit in their En Gobelet blend, is planted to not only Mourvedre, but also Grenache, Syrah, Counoise and Roussanne.
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Can Wine Save the Planet?
Our final stop In Oregon for our Harvest shoot was at Beckham Estate Vineyard. The Estate is farmed biodynamically and organically. They have a flock of sheep that graze in the vineyard, and there are riparian zones for biodiversity. They are raising their family here. They want the place to be safe and to thrive.
Beyond regenerative and biodynamic farming, owner Andrew Beckham plays a very special role in wine in the US. You see, Andrew is a potter, a ceramics artist.
When we visited a few years ago, his wife Annedria told us the story of reading an Industry magazine featuring Elisabetta Foradori, the renowned winemaker in Trentino-Alto Adige in Northern Italy. She was using amphorae to ferment and age her wine. Annedria knew what Andrew’s first thought would be.
Should she show it to him? She did, and she was right. “I could make those!” of course came out of his mouth, and he set about doing just that.
When we last visited, we watched, cameras off, as he created one of these massive amphorae. We had seen the finished product already. Rudy at Montinore was using one. Andrew was making wine in some, as well as using barrels.
Imagine that, being both the winemaker and the potter, able to tweak the design to better suit your needs.
With NOVUM Ceramics Amphorae he is the US’s first and only commercial producer of Terracotta Amphorae. Almost all his wines are now made in amphorae.
Think about this vessel. These amphorae will last a very long time and are a neutral vessel, not imparting flavors to the wine. Beyond that, they are beautiful. Andrew is an artist and melds the practical and the beautiful. He has recently designed new stands for the amphorae that are stunning pedestals and are also forklift friendly.
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Montinore Estate
During our October trip we woke early and met Rudy Marchesi at Montinore in the Tualatin Hills AVA in the Willamette Valley.
This AVA is in the northwest corner of the Willamette Valley, and the Montinore Vineyard is located in Forest Hill. We visited back in 2019, and our conversation with Rudy had been a Masterclass in biodynamics and the impact of the Missoula Floods on this region. We were anxious to have another opportunity to speak with him.
This vineyard was planted in 1982. The owners at the time named it, a combination of Montana and Oregon “Montinore.” Rudy was working with the vineyard owners, the Grahams, and they had some issues with phylloxera.
They converted to Organic and biodynamic farming to try to heal the property and extend the life of the vines. The vineyard continues to get smaller and smaller, but the longevity of these vines has far surpassed what had been expected.
In 2005, Rudy took over as proprietor at Montinore. In 2016, Ackley Brands purchased Montinore Estate. Since then, they have expanded their portfolio. Adding the Landlines label and the Tidalstar vineyard and the new Laughlin Road Ranch vineyard, both in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. These wines are made by the same winemaking team as Montinore Estate.
In addition, they have added Mac & Jacks, Cataclysm, and Borealis to their portfolio. They have plans to break ground in early October for a new winemaking facility in Hillsboro that will be both organic and biodynamic certified.
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Tablas Creek Vineyard
The harvest crew at Tablas is out so early for a couple of reasons. Harvesting early means the grapes are cool and are less likely to break, and this allows them to work an 8-hour shift starting at 3 am, with a break for lunch at 7 am, then on to around 11:30 am, finishing before the heat of the day.
The next pick of the day was on Scruffy Hill. This was a section of Mourvédre in this head-trained and very steep block. The crew asked me to snap a crew shot as they gathered to start.
Scruffy Hill is planted to low density, which means there is space around each of the vines. On this hill they are spaced 12 x 12, which gives them about 350 vines per acre. This spacing makes this block more resilient during drought and heat events.
The block is also head-trained or Gobelet, as they call it in France. This method grows the vine like a bush or small tree. Gobelet refers to a goblet, which is the shape, the trunk as the stem with the vine rounding out above it.
This method is traditionally used in Chateauneuf du Pape. While it is much less expensive to plant, without all the trellising posts and wires, it does require a greater effort at harvest. These vines must be hand-harvested.
Of course everything at Tablas is hand-harvested, but trellised vines allow an ease of picking, with vines all in a straight line and the fruiting zone at a set height. It’s a bit more complex with a head-trained vine.
Scuffy Hill soil is difficult walking, your feet slide in the loose rocks on the steep slope.
This block, that is home to much of the fruit in their En Gobelet blend, is planted to not only Mourvedre, but also Grenache, Syrah, Counoise and Roussanne.
Join us by sharing our story
Or donate to our fundraising campaign!
It takes a village!
Be our village!
Syncline Winery on the Columbia Gorge
Syncline Winery sits in the transitional zone between these two climates. I remember Craig at Troon telling me transitional zones were the most interesting to grow in.
The Columbia Gorge AVA spans the Gorge, taking in both Washington and Oregon covering 191,000 acres total with 950 total acres planted, 381 of those in Washington.
The vineyard and winery are near Lyle, about 1/2 way between Hood River and the Dalles on the Washington side of the Gorge.
We pulled up, were greeted by the winery dogs, and watched as James Mantone, the winemaker, ran the forklift with bins to the hopper for the press. They were pressing off some of their red wines today and getting things cleaned up and ready for another pick the following day.
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Biodynamic Farming at Hedges Family Estate
Hedges gradually converted all their vineyards to biodynamic farming and work with natural rather than chemical means of supporting their soils, vines, and other life on the property.
This is good for the planet, of course, but it also allows them to truly express this plot of land in a glass of wine. The wines are native ferment, no commercial yeast is added, and the microbial life in the soils is tended to allow the vines the nutrients native to this place, not brought in from far away.
They do not expect, nor do they want, to produce wines whose characteristics are the same year after year. When you get a bottle of wine from the Hedges Estate, it will mirror in the glass the season in which it grew, the soil it was grown in, a sense of this place.
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Off to Naches Heights and Wilridge Vineyard
On our last trip to the region, we spent the morning shooting sunrise at Wilridge, and we were here to catch some of that again. It is a stunning place to shoot! The bedrock here is andesite from a million-year-old lava flow. Most of this region is covered in basalt and volcanic soil, and much of the lower part of the valley has Missoula flood deposits. Naches Heights is home to the longest andesite flow in the world, giving the AVA its distinctive geology.
We enjoyed the sunrise and snapped photos of the vineyards and two tasting rooms. Yes, two. Paul doesn’t just make wine. He also makes spirits. Do you remember how we mentioned reusing the grape skins for Piquette as a lower-alcohol beverage? Well, you can also go the other way. Grape skins are used to make grappa and marc, and Paul makes those for his line of spirits! He also makes fruit brandies in a region blessed with abundant orchards. He has a tasting room for wine and one for the spirits (as per Washington Law, they cannot be in the same building.)
There is another sustainable benefit here: it allows his team a task during the off-season for wine so that he can keep them employed and busy most of the year.
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Troon Vineyard
The Harvest shoot – well, sort of…
Our first stop on our Harvest Shoot tour was to Troon in Southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley. Our first stop was Troon Vineyard & Farm in Southern Oregon’s Applegate Valley. This relatively small vineyard is Demeter Biodynamic and Regenerative Organic Certified. They put their money where their mouth is when it comes to being beyond sustainable. Wine Enthusiast named them American Winery of the Year in 2022!
We were heading up to shoot some B-roll and then get harvest shots. They plan their picks according to the biodynamic calendar, and September 30th had been scheduled. Of course, Mother Nature gets her say, also. While the grapes were saying they were ready, the weather forecast had a rainstorm heading in overnight on the 29th. While it would be dry on the morning of the 30th, the grapes would still be wet and likely would have absorbed enough water that the juice would be diluted.
The rest of the weekend was predicted to be warmer and dry, so the pick was rescheduled for Monday the 2nd. The crew, who comes in with a vineyard management company, needs a bit of notice, so they couldn’t just wait and decide in the morning.
So, we won’t get harvest shots, but we will get some beautiful grape shots on the vine.
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Education
Down the Rabbit hole of Biodynamic and Regenerative Viticulture
This is where the entire episode is the Rabbit hole.
We find that the wines we like the most, the vineyards that produce wines with complexity and energy, generally come from biodynamic vineyards.
There are several reasons for this. These winemakers have a passion for the ecosystem, where healthy plants co-exist. This type of farming is more work. You must be passionate. Most of these people have done their research and maybe experimented to see if this really worked.
The second is that you can see the results in the soil. As the plants mature, animals and the good insects start appearing. Biodynamics generally takes 5 to 8 years, but you can see the results all around when it takes off.
We will start with a refresher, the biodynamic basics. Then we will share thoughts on biodynamics from the people who are doing this, the winemakers and wineries.
Then we leap down another rabbit hole to regenerative agriculture.
We will discuss how this all ties into regenerating our soils around the globe, allowing us to eat healthier, and mending the planet. These wineries lead by example and can lead us to a better future
The Biodynamic Rabbit Hole
Biodynamics was a reaction to the industrial farming that came out of the Industrial Revolution, a time when mechanization and mass production were changing the natural way that farmers grew food. Farms got bigger biodiversity dropped off and with it, these large fields of one crop were more susceptible to pests and diseases. This created the need for pesticides. Farmers planted the same crop over and over,depleting the nutrients in the soil and creating the need for added fertilizer.
Biodynamics looks at each farm as an ecosystem, not a series of crops or livestock.In this way, the biodiversity of plants and animals work together to keep the farm healthy. It is based on the movement of the sun, moon, planets, and the seasons.
There are 9 specific preparations used to replenish the earth and the ecosystem, keeping the plants healthy as well as the community of healthy microbes in the soil.
Farming has always been based on seasons and teas & early medicines were all made from plants.
All of the chemicals we use, come from resources we have on the planet, we have just removed them from nature by multiple degrees.
Biodynamics and Troon Vineyard
In this episode of Discovering Wine Country, we are focusing on Biodynamics and Troon Vineyard in Oregon’s Applegate Valley.
This will also be an introduction to Biodynamics, and we will share conversations with several biodynamic vineyard owners.
There will also be a preview of Regenerative Agriculture which we will discuss more in a future episode. Troon vineyard has transitioned to biodynamic and is now the 2nd vineyard in the world to become Regenerative Organic Certified.
Andrew Beedy the Troon Biodynamic Consultant speaks with us and finally taste through some of the Troon wines.
The Applegate Valley
Just north of the California border nested within the Rogue Valley, you find the Applegate Valley AVA. This valley, created by the Applegate River has soils dominated by river sediment. The thing about river sediment is that it is moving and depositing soil and the Applegate River has shifted and moved, so the soils, while all alluvial are different depending on when they were deposited.
The valley is rural, the I-5 with Ashland and Medford sit outside the AVA boundaries along the Rogue River. The Pacific is just 50 miles away to the West, but the Siskiyou Mountains shield the region from the cool marine air.
50 miles long, covering 275,000 acres, the Applegate Valley AVA is home to 18 wineries, and it is spectacularly beautiful.
Shorts
Food Forest
A food forest is a mix of trees, shrubs, and other plants for food. Think nut and fruit trees with berry bushes, squash, or other ground vines, tuber, and root plants. You have layers of plant life.
We were able to see a food forest early on at Troon Vineyard. They planted rows mixed with trees, shrubs, and smaller plants on contours. This contour planting also acts as a buffer for erosion.
Between the curved rows of mixed plants, 19 feet of land were left for grazing, planted with rye, clover, and other foraging plants for the sheep.
They alternated the trees in their rows with fruit and nitrogen-fixing trees in a wide range of species, including many stone fruits.
Then there are the shrubs, with sunchokes, artichokes, raspberries, herbs like chives, mint, yarrow, and calendula, and then they added annuals like squash.
This food forest will provide biodiversity on their property. Flowering plants provide food for bees, and the trees, shrubs, and other plants will provide fruits and vegetables for their team and their farm stand.
We look forward to watching this forest grow!
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Insectaries are areas that create healthy homes for insects.
SNAP – Shelter, nectar, alternative prey, & pollen are the things you can provide for insects, according to Dr. Steve Wratten in New Zealand.
Not all insects are “pests.” IPM – Integrated Pest Management controls pests by using beneficial insects.
We all love ladybugs. They are vicious predators of aphids. Your mom loved these very cute, stone-cold killers because they protected her roses!
In the vineyard, you can grow cover crops to attract beneficial insects or set up areas between the blocks to make a home for them.
Insectaries, create biodiversity and provide a natural way to control “pests.”
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Climate Chaos
Our planet is in the midst of climate chaos.
Climate Chaos means you might be in a drought one year and a flood the next.
Northern Italy saw this with a Severe Drought in the summer of 2022 and then heavy rains and flooding in the spring of 2023.
Germany saw horrific flooding in Ahr in the summer of 2021, and devastating floods in Northern Germany occurred as recently as January 2024.
In South America, El Nino brought severe rain and flooding to vineyards in Chile in 2023, while they still struggle with drought and a lack of snowfall in the Andes that provides irrigation in the warm summers. It’s not one or the other any longer. It’s both.
There are Solutions!
Cover crops, crop rotation, rotational grazing, and irrigation improvements can all help stabilize soil. Contour farming, dune stabilization, and Windbreaks can also help!
The goal is to encourage life. Plants and their roots hold the soil in place. They also aerate the soil, allowing the water to soak in. This encourages microbial life, and the positive cycle continues.
Cover crops help hold water, allowing for less runoff and erosion. Riparian areas along rivers can also help hold the banks in place. Contour farming helps slow the flow of running water, giving it time to seep into the soil.
Many small changes can make a difference.
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It takes a village!
Be our village!
Solar
Solar is the perfect way to create power for a winery. Most wineries are located in areas where the sun is plentiful (grapes like that). So solar panels can allow vineyards to produce wine, while lowering their energy consumption from the grid.
Of course, as Jason at Tablas Creek says, “Every square inch of leaf is like a little photovoltaic cell.” That’s not just the grapes, but the cover crops!
Green Energy in the Vineyard
Using regenerative farming techniques in the vineyard is terrific, but eventually, it will take some energy to make wine.
Luckily, vineyards grow in sunny places so that the grapes can ripen. Vineyards are harnessing this power from the sun with solar panels in the vineyard and on the winery roof. Many are able to offset their power usage in the winery through this method. In Monterey and Vermont, there are vineyards harnessing wind power with turbines.
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A Balanced Ecosystem for all
There are many ways to keep the ecosystem Balanced…here are a few
Kelp has been found to be a terrific fertilizer, building immunity and helping with any nutrient deficiencies, and it can help defend plants from insects and build resistance to disease.
But you might be wondering about the sustainability of growing kelp for this purpose. I was! In my research, I discovered that Kelp is sustainable. Like bamboo, it grows quickly! It does not require fertilizer to grow, and best of all, it sequesters carbon.
Let me put an exclamation point on that: per acre, it can sequester up to 20 times more carbon than a forest!
Kelp is also a nutritious superfood!
So land and sea can work together to make us and the planet healthier!
Beneficial insects
We so often think of insects as pests, but many insects are helpful!
Creating insectaries to attract beneficial insects can help balance the ecosystem.
Livestock
Incorporating livestock creates biodiversity. It also supports the needs of the plants; sheep aerate the soil with their hooves and mow the grasses, and enzymes in their saliva encourage the grass to grow again. They fertilize the soil, and any parasites they might leave behind can be eaten up by chickens!
The Human Element
We can’t forget the human element. Workers should be treated with respect, paid fairly, and provided with good working conditions. That means looking at hours and conditions (heat, cold, wet). It also means finding ways that they can work smarter, not harder, and listening to their thoughts and ideas!
Join us by sharing our story
Or donate to our fundraising campaign!
It takes a village!
Be our village!
Climate Chaos
Our planet is in the midst of climate chaos.
Climate Chaos means you might be in a drought one year and a flood the next.
Northern Italy saw this with a Severe Drought in the summer of 2022 and then heavy rains and flooding in the spring of 2023.
Germany saw horrific flooding in Ahr in the summer of 2021, and devastating floods in Northern Germany occurred as recently as January 2024.
In South America, El Nino brought severe rain and flooding to vineyards in Chile in 2023, while they still struggle with drought and a lack of snowfall in the Andes that provides irrigation in the warm summers. It’s not one or the other any longer. It’s both.
There are Solutions!
Cover crops, crop rotation, rotational grazing, and irrigation improvements can all help stabilize soil. Contour farming, dune stabilization, and Windbreaks can also help!
The goal is to encourage life. Plants and their roots hold the soil in place. They also aerate the soil, allowing the water to soak in. This encourages microbial life, and the positive cycle continues.
Cover crops help hold water, allowing for less runoff and erosion. Riparian areas along rivers can also help hold the banks in place. Contour farming helps slow the flow of running water, giving it time to seep into the soil.
Many small changes can make a difference.
Join us by sharing our story
Or donate to our fundraising campaign!
It takes a village!
Be our village!
English