**Cover crops surrounding vines help maintain healthy soils.**

Happy Earth Day! Today is a day to consider how we treat our precious planet, beginning with its soils. Did you know the Earth's topsoil supports 95% of all food production? Yet, nearly half of the world's farmable land has disappeared in the last four decades, largely due to conventional farming and its use of harmful synthetic chemicals in the soil.

Healthy soils lay the foundation for a healthy vineyard. Soil provides water and nutrients to vines and is a living medium. Healthy soils are biodiverse, meaning they are full of organisms that interact to provide a wide variety of ecosystem services, from decomposing organic matter to providing minerals to vine roots. They also control pests, diseases, and weeds, improving the soil’s capacity to retain water and nutrients.

Fortunately, many wine growers and producers are on a mission to revitalize our damaged soils and ecosystems, leading to cleaner air, water, and food (including wine!).

Troon Vineyard, located in Southwest Oregon’s Applegate Valley, is one of them. This winery and farm of nearly 100 acres is certified Organic, Demeter Biodynamic, and Regenerative Organic Certified. By gaining these certifications, Troon Vineyard shows a strong commitment to improving the environment.

However, Troon Vineyards acknowledges that it is a small piece of the puzzle. “What we do on our 100-acre farm will not change the world unless we convince other farmers and winemakers to adopt that same mission,” says Craig Camp, General Manager at Troon Vineyards. “Also, we must convince wine consumers that wine crafted with quality, place, and planet in mind is worth the search.”

What do these farming methods mean for the earth? To put it simply, organic, biodynamic, and regenerative farming help in the fight against climate change by rebuilding the soil's organic matter and restoring biodiversity. The methods required by both certifications use less non-renewable energy and emit fewer greenhouse gases.

“Organics tell you what you can’t do,” says Camp. “Biodynamics works with a framework of natural rhythms and proactive probiotics, the Biodynamic Preparations, to feed the life in your soils. Regenerative Organic certification starts with organic certification and then goes far beyond to include no-till agriculture, human and animal welfare, and the requirement to show that you are not just hurting the environment but actually making it better. Most of all, biodynamics and regenerative organic are not simply sustainable, a term the greenwashers hijack. It is not enough to sustain the status quo. We have to actually improve our farms and soils, which, of course, will also improve our wines.”

**Sheep help manage the land and improve soil health.** *Photo: @troonwines.*

Interested in learning more? For more on biodynamic farming, visit the Biodynamic Association website, and for regenerative farming, go to the Regenerative Organic Alliance website.

What does this mean for the wines? Troon Vineyard’s mission is "to change the world — or at least to be a small part of that change.” Camp says they naturally craft wines with minimal intervention that reflect the terroir of where they are grown, and that are designed to bring pleasure to wine drinkers. As I’ve tasted several (samples) over the past year, I can attest to the pleasure these wines bring. They never fail to impress! The wines are full of life, with plenty of flavor and acidity. They belong on the dinner table to be enjoyed with delicious food and great company.

Below is Troon Vineyard 2020 Syrah, paired with pasta and sausages in a Bolognese sauce. Troon’s Syrah is lighter-bodied than what you'll find from the Rhône Valley but still offers dark berry fruit notes that are well-balanced by its savory, spicy, peppery, and meaty flavors.