There is alot of talk these days about sustainability, and the wine world is no exception. The sustainable farming of grapes is becoming an important issue for wineries and vineyard managers.
Not only are consumers interested in sustainability, but the long term health of the industry depends upon responsible farming. Here in the Walla Walla Valley we have a sustainable trust for the vineyards called
Vinea. This organization is committed to introducing and encouraging sustainable farming practices. Growers and producers are certified sustainable through
IOBC and Pepper Bridge has also been certified
Salmon Safe because of our protection of water quality. At present almost 80% of the vineyards in the Walla Walla AVA are participating in Vinea.
So what does sustainability in the vineyard mean for Pepper Bridge? Farming sustainably means that we keep our attention on the health of the vines, the soil, the workers, as well as the health of the business. We want to grow the highest quality grapes in a manner that can be perpetuated over the long term. In order to produce high quality fruit, the vines themselves must be healthy. The health of the soil plays a key role in the health of the vine.
We work with local composter
Rick Trumbull of Sustainable Soil Solutions and Quality Compost, to return vital nutrients to the soils. Each year we spread tons of compost through both Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills Vineyards. During harvest, we save all the left over stems and
pomace.
It will be composted with a mix of logs, hay and straw, manure, and minerals such as phosphate and basalt dust, then returned to the vineyard.
In addition, we drip a compost tea through the irrigation lines to add nutrients to the soil. The goal is to have healthy soils full of microbiological activity.
If the soils are healthy, the grape vines themselves will be healthy, and therefore able to protect themselves from disease and pests. And of course, the end goal is to produce the best grapes possible so that we can then make the best wines possible. Restoring soil health is a long slow process. It is a commitment to the future of grape growing and wine making in the Walla Walla valley.
We are at about the mid point for the 2009 Harvest here at Pepper Bridge and it has been a lot of hard work. It is easy to see hard work happening all around the winery, the sorting of grapes, the cleaning of bins, and of course the punch downs. 
What isn't so easy to see is all the hard work that goes into getting the grapes to the winery. 
This time of year our winemaker is up early in the morning, spending time in the vineyards checking on the grapes. As the grapes ripen, Jean-François methodically pulls samples and tastes the grapes from all of our blocks in both Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills Vineyards. It means lots of walking while it is barely light out, but is important work that helps him decide when to harvest particular lots of fruit. 
Jean-François will walk two rows of a given block, pulling grapes from both sides of the row until he has 100 berries. These sample berries will be taken back to the lab for analysis of their sugar level. 
While we typically harvest the red varietals at about 25 to 26 Brix, the sugar level is not the only thing that Jean-François considers when deciding whether to harvest. While pulling grapes for samples, he will also be tasting, checking on the flavor of the grapes.
With all the sun and heat that we have had this summer in Walla Walla, we don't have to worry about the grapes not having enough sugar. The trick is picking the grapes when the flavors are at the best. Little fluctuations in temperature up or down can either accelerate the ripening, or slow down the process, allowing for more flavor development.
So it is of the utmost importance for Jean-François to check on the vineyard daily, keep on top of the weather forecast, and staying patient.
Once he decides that a block of grapes are at their best, he calls for the vineyard manager to pick.
All of the grapes at Pepper Bridge are hand picked. The picking crews work in small teams, with each picker filling small plastic totes that will then be dumped into a picking bin that is pulled by a tractor. 
The pickers work amazingly fast, getting through about an acre an hour. For working so fast, they also pick very cleanly, with very few leaves or bad clusters ending up in the bins. 
Once the grapes have been picked, the bins are loaded onto trailers and trucked to the winery. 
All of this work happens before 9:00 so that there will be grapes ready and waiting for the wine team to sort and destem first thing in the morning.
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