I spent decades in the U.S. wine industry, pushing bottles, curating cellars, and developing an unhealthy obsession with cork quality. I was there when Four Chimneys became the first organic winery in America—before “organic” was something you slapped on a label to charge an extra ten bucks. Back then, it wasn’t marketing; it was philosophy. And it mattered.
But time moves on. Four Chimneys disappeared. And so did I.
One day, while looking for something entirely unrelated (probably a good deal on Spanish olives), I saw that the Four Chimneys Organic Wine domain was available. And I thought, well, that’s interesting. That name had always meant something to me—an era when wine wasn’t about mass production or market trends but about real craftsmanship. So, I grabbed it. Not to resurrect the old business, but to keep that spirit alive, just in a different place, with a different climate, and a whole new way of life.
Now, I’m in Spain, where organic wine isn’t a fringe concept anymore, it’s the foundation of some of the best bottles you’ll ever drink. Here, among the rolling vineyards of La Rioja, the rugged cliffs of Galicia, and the overlooked gems of Andalusia, winemakers are doing things the right way. Ancient techniques, minimal intervention, absolute respect for the land. It’s like stepping back in time, but without the dial up.
This blog? It’s part love letter, part exploration, part excuse to keep drinking good wine. Four Chimneys Organic Wine may no longer exist as a winery, but its philosophy is alive and thriving in Spain. I’ll be writing about organic and biodynamic wines, the regions that are leading the charge, and the people shaping the industry. I’ll also be sharing the more chaotic side of uprooting my life and starting over in a country where wine isn’t a drink—it’s practically a religion.
And because no good story follows a straight line, expect a few unexpected detours—misadventures in Spanish bureaucracy, poorly planned road trips, and possibly a few ill-advised wine purchases that seemed like a great idea at the time.
Pour a glass, stick around, and let’s explore the wild, wonderful world of Spanish organic wine together.