Stuart Smith of Smith-Madrone Vineyards & Winery
Tell us about the sustainable and eco-friendly practices at the vineyard: There are two areas that illustrate Smith-Madrone’s commitment to the environment. The first is we may have been the first vineyard in Napa County to farm no-till, i.e. with a permanent cover crop. In the late 1970’s, I worked with the old Soil Conservation Service to experiment with various seeds to determine which seeds might be best for hillside cover crops. We were looking for a seed that will germinate with the first rains, grow well in a cold, wet and continually darkening winter climate. The grass needs to put out a mat of fine hairs and reseed by early spring.
I believed back then that a vigorous growing cover crop is the first and best defense against soil erosion. With a major replanting that began in the late 1990’s, I have several blocks that have not been tilled in 24 years.
At that same time, I made a commitment to have no water cross our property lines except in existing season streams. To that end, I installed five sediment retention basins that capture any excess water from the vineyard, roads or buildings and allow it to then be slowly be re-absorbed into the soil. Should the basin fill, which has only happened once in 40-plus years, the water goes into a spreader devise with 50-feet of level perforated pipe that allows the water to drop a short distance onto the native soil and be re-absorbed into the soil.
Tell us about the varietals you make: At Smith-Madrone, we grow and produce Chardonnay, Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon. We also grow Merlot, Cabernet franc and Petit Verdot for use in blending. All our wine is estate grown by at high elevation within the Spring Mountain District AVA. Our overarching winemaking philosophy is to have the wine be an expression of what nature created with that growing season. We abhor the concept of pounding the square peg through a round hole so it’s all the same. The reason for vintage dating is to celebrate the diversity of the vintages.
What are a few wines that readers should try right now?
2018 Smith Madrone Estate Chardonnay