Recognizing six decades of organic grape growing
April 19th – Redwood Valley, Mendocino, March 2022 — BARRA of Mendocino has news and events scheduled for Earth Day this year, April 22.
In the tasting room on April 23 from noon until 3:00 p.m. guests can enjoy Earth Day giveaways, tasty treats from Slam Dunk Food Truck and a pet adoption event with Humane Society for Inland Mendocino County, in addition to the array of estate-grown wines, all sourced from the family winery’s organically farmed vineyards in Mendocino County. The winery will be giving away sunflower seeds to all guests that bring in their used corks and will also be waiving its tasting fees for Earth Day weekend.
The tasting room is located at 7051 North State Street, Redwood Valley (95470).
Why is Earth Day especially ‘meaningful’ for BARRA? Proprietor Martha Barra likes to say that Earth Day is ‘nothing new’ for her family and their farming. A word of context: Mendocino farmers, grape growers and winemakers pioneered a sustainable farming approach long before it gained the attention it has today, and a large percentage of grapes are grown following certified sustainable, organic, biodynamic and Fish Friendly protocols. Over 25% of Mendocino County’s wine grapes are certified organic, in fact, 1/3 of the total organic wine grape acreage in California is in Mendocino County (here’s the source for this).
BARRA of Mendocino will be celebrating Earth Day all throughout the month of April at their tasting room with various activities including cork recycling, sunflower seeds and reusable bag give aways, vegan education, and more.
Some fun facts and numbers on the occasion of Earth Day:
- 8: number of rain water fed ponds found on the Barra’s three estate vineyards
- 9: months for pomace to ‘cook’ before it is tilled into the vineyard soils
- 0: chemicals-pesticides used on the Barra family’s CCOF-certified vineyards in Mendocino County
- 6: number of alpacas that live on the home ranch, Redwood Valley Vineyards
- 3: number of goats who call Redwood Valley Vineyards home
- 33: number of years the Barra family’s home ranch, Redwood Valley Vineyards, has been certified by the California Certified Organic Farmers.
An update on Barra’s organic approach on the occasion of Earth Day 2022 is the family’s experimentation with the use of biochar in a test plot environment. Biochar is a wood product created by burning wood chips in equipment that uses very little oxygen for the burning process. Initial studies have indicated that biochar has the potential to do at least three things: increases the vine’s ability to uptake nutrients, has water-holding capabilities, and increases the carbon sequestration in the soil. Old vines pulled out for replanting could potentially be converted into biochar. Martha explains that “although more studies need to be done on this process, we feel it is worth our time and energy to investigate the use of biochar as a soil amendment practice. This could be a critical farming practice since we face the most severe drought conditions on the North Coast of California perhaps in 1,200 years.”
The Barras farm 9 varietals on their 350 acres of estate vineyards in Mendocino (Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Muscat Canelli, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petite Sirah). Proprietor Martha Barra explains how they came to farm organically: “the first thing my late husband, Charlie Barra, did to farm organically was to tell his best friend, a vineyard chemical salesman, to ‘not come in my vineyard anymore.’ The salesman would come into Charlie’s vineyards, see some deficiency, and then relate a horror story of a neighbor down the road who had lost 50% of their crop because they didn’t spray with a certain fungicide. Charlie’s reasoning was: ‘My grandfather and father didn’t use pesticides or herbicides or commercial fertilizers, so why should I?’”
The original 175-acre parcel purchased in 1955, Redwood Valley Vineyards, was certified organic in 1989. After selling their grapes for many years, the Barras began making their own wine in 1997 under the BARRA of Mendocino label and added the Girasole Vineyards line in 2003.
On December 7, 2021, Representatives Jared Huffman and Mike Thompson delivered a Resolution on the floor of the U.S. Congress honoring Martha Barra’s five decades of organic grape growing and her 80th birthday. The Resolution reads in part: “Martha Barra’s enduring commitment to protecting the environment and the people of Mendocino County, while also producing premier, award-winning wine, is remarkable and a benefit to the region. Madam Speaker, please join us in recognizing Martha Barra for her many contributions and wishing her a wonderful birthday.”
BARRA of Mendocino offers both indoor and outdoor tastings; no reservations are required. For more details regarding special events guests can call 707/ 485-0322 or email events@barraofmendocino.com. Set on 50 acres of certified organic vineyards planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir, the sprawling 5,000 square foot tasting room offers 40-foot ceilings, a circular tasting bar, indoor fountain and blooming gardens. Dating back to the 1970s, this architectural phenomenon also serves as an anchor venue for Mendocino County weddings, corporate and non-profit community events.
Current wines made from organic grapes under BARRA of Mendocino are:
- 2020 Chardonnay
- 2019 Pinot Noir
- 2018 Zinfandel
- 2018 Cabernet
- 2019 Petite Sirah
- 2015 Bella Dolce Dessert Wine
- 2018 CORO Mendocino
Current vegan-friendly wines made from organic grapes under Girasole Vineyards are:
- 2019 Muscat Canelli
- 2020 Pinot Blanc
- 2020 Rosé
- 2019 Chardonnay
- 2020 Pinot Noir
- 2019 Sangiovese
- 2019 Zinfandel
- 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2019 Charlie’s Blend
