Our grapes are grown and our wines vinified according to the standards of the Northeast Organic Farmers' Association of New York (NOFA), standards which we helped the organization design in accordance with international certification standards. What this means is that nothing toxic or synthetic goes into the growing of our grapes or the making of our wines. Instead of many toxic pesticides, we make sure the natural balance of predator insects is fully functioning in our vineyards. If not, we spread hundreds of thousands of beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings to keep the number of grape predator insects down. Instead of the common highly toxic synthetic fungicides, we use natural means to combat fungus, including fine-tuned nutrition (even feeding the plants through their leaves!) so the plant's natural immune system has everything it needs to protect the plant naturally. Studies have shown that resveratrol--a very potent antioxidant found in wine--is produced by the grape plant in its struggle against fungus. It is higher in Eastern U.S. grapes, where the climate causes the plant to struggle more against fungus, and higher still in organic grapes.

To combat weeds we don't use any herbicides. Instead we use laborious hand and tractor weeding or mulching. And to feed our plants we never use anything artificial--only rock powders, manures, mulches, composts, or specially grown cover crops that are plowed under and break down to feed the plants.

In the wine making we depend on filtration to solve most of our problems. Wines are very tightly filtered with a sterile pharmaceutical grade final filter, that no yeast or bacteria can cause spoilage or refermentation problems. Once in maybe 5,000 bottles a yeast cell will make it in, maybe in the air in the bottling room or from the corker (our corks are purchased sterile) and cause a refermentation, or natural champagne. That's why we suggest you refrigerate the sweeter wines or keep them in a cool cellar away from anything that would be affected by a stream of "champagne" erupting on it in the unlikely event your bottle should be the one in 5,000.

SULFITES: In accordance with international standards for organic wine, our wines do contain low levels of sulfites from natural sources and the added gas form. Yeast regularly produce sulfur dioxide gas during fermentation, in addition to carbon dioxide, alcohol, and the many other bi-products of fermentation. This sulfur dioxide unites with the natural elements in the wine to produce natural sulfites. We regularly supplement small amounts of sulfur dioxide gas as the yeast do not produce a sufficient quantity for minimum stability expected by average consumer standards. Our wines are always below the maximum permitted world-wide for organic and conventional wines.. We never use the synthetic sulfite compounds. The levels of natural sulfites found in our wines are lower than what is found in many conventional wines, so that many of our customers prefer them simply to reduce the possibility that they will never get the sinusitis-type headache induced by high sulfite levels, or other reactions.

We also never use any sorbate compounds or any other preservatives. Many people are sensitive to sorbate and get a headache similar to the MSG reaction. And there are literally scores of other chemicals permitted by the FDA.

Another factor in our consumer loyalty is that we do not use any animal products in our wines, such as bull's blood, gelatin (from beef bones), isinglass (from fish), and egg whites -- all of which are allowed by the FDA. Many committed vegetarians appreciate the security of knowing that.

Join the hundreds of our friends who regularly enjoy our organic wines with their meals. UPS shipments generally go out the day after we receive them as long as payment accompanies them.