Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/711666
{ SOMMjournal.com } 105 A Look at Some SIP Certified Vineyards and Their Wines Our conversations with winemakers and growers on how SIP Certified directly impacts their business, and ultimately the quality of wines that come to the wine trade. Halter Ranch Tucked among the coastal mountain slopes of Paso Robles' Adelaida District AVA is a 2,000-acre estate called Halter Ranch. Only 281 acres of the property have been planted to grapes, and there are zero plans to plant more. "Halter Ranch," says Winemaker Kevin Sass, "has always been a conservation project. Our owner, Hansjörg Wyss, bought the property 15 years ago specifically to preserve it. We're actually one of his smaller projects. The Wyss Foundation has spent over $175 million to preserve and protect some 14 million acres in various other parts of the U.S." By adhering to SIP Certified protocols, Halter Ranch was recently recognized for its sus - tainable program with a 2016 California Green Medal Award presented by the Wine Institute and several other grower asso- ciations. Says Sass, who formerly made wine for Justin Vineyards before joining Halter Ranch six years ago, "I've worked with a lot of vineyards in Paso Robles, but there's something about a healthier vine- yard when you walk through them. The ground is not rock hard, there's more energy in the soil, air and plants. You can feel the difference." Adds Sass, "It starts with the basic premise that healthy vines produce better grapes, leading to wines with a stronger sense of place. Even before I joined Halter Ranch, it was producing tons of its own compost and had completely eliminated chemicals like preemergents (herbicides) that can get into the ground and hinder build-up of micro - organisms that help create biomass. All the things we do—dry farming, establishing gardens of native species, planting vines around oak trees which serve as habitats for raptors and other birds, moving armies of chickens around in a mobile coop to help with pest control, even moving away from so-called soft herbicides like glyphosate [aka Roundup] by going to under-vine Clemens tillers—all these things help us meet the goals ingrained in Mr. Wyss's basic philosophy of leaving properties in better shape than how we found them." Halter Ranch 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Adelaida District–Paso Robles 13% Malbec, 9% Petit Verdot Possessing all the qualities that have distinguished the best Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignons in recent years: lavish concentration of floral, cassis- like fruit and velvety, musclebound finesse, finishing in a blaze of soy-glazed, roasted/charred meatiness. Halter Ranch 2013 Syrah, Adelaida District–Paso Robles 5% Viognier Extravagant, floral violet/raspberry perfume; tightly wound, full, layered feel; the flowery fruit lit up by palate-ringing natural acidity and filled out by moderately grippy tannin. How Sustainability Correlates with Quality When you see a SIP Certified/ Sustainability in Practice seal on a bottle, it is indeed a re-assurance that grapes going into the wine have been certified to meet a full range of meaningful stan - dards, including: Social Responsibility: Employees offered competitive wages, benefits and training. Water Conservation: Soils, plants, weather monitored regularly; vines irri- gated as needed. Clean Water: Grasses are grown to reduce erosion and filter storm runoff. Safe Pest Management: Introduction of beneficial insects, raptors and cover crops adding organic matter to soil, leading to healthy vines. Energy Efficiency: Tractor use minimized to reduce carbon footprint, and use of alternative fuels and energy sources such as solar and wind. Habitat: Establishment of wildlife cor - ridors giving animals access to traditional watering holes and food, and land usage contributing biodiversity. Third Party Audit: Third party verifica- tion of SIP standards through documen- tation and on-site inspections. Improvement: Annual updates and peer reviews to incorporate latest science, technology and research. PHOTO COURTESY OF ANCIENT PEAKS PHOTO: RANDY CAPAROSO A sign in the Santa Lucia Highlands denotes a SIP Certified vineyard. v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v Winemaker Kevin Sass in a head-trained Grenache block at Halter Ranch PHOTO: RANDY CAPAROSO