The Wolffs chose sustainable “winegrowing” because they thought it was the right thing to do. “It wasn’t done with a marketing spin, though we’ve seen that our customers do appreciate and sponsor, so to speak, businesses like ours because they see our respect of land.” At Wolff Vineyards, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s general framework for sustainable agriculture (see “Sustainable Agriculture Defined”) comes to life. Rather than a narrow interpretation of these principles, the ecologically oriented winegrowing and winemaking practices here represent an attempt to restore and replenish an entire ecosystem. Wolff has a comprehensive system for sustainability: “It all integrates in a kind of holistic way. All the parts fit together—you can’t just look at one.”

SOIL MANAGEMENT: “This property used the traditional farming technique where you just grow things and you don’t return anything to the soil. Eventually the soil quality declines,” Wolff says. His aggressive soil management program includes 1 1/2 tons per acre per year of compost—dairy-harvested manure from cows that were not given hormones—to improve the microorganisms in the soil. Gypsum from recycled Sheetrock is used to enhance the water percolation in the soil and the absorption efficiency of the soil during rainfalls. Wolff plants winter crops of beans, winter snow peas, and wild oats, and uses them as “green manure” to control the amount of nitrogen in the soil. He also converted the cover crop to native grasses, which do not need as much water or mowing.

WATER MANAGEMENT: Thanks to a grant, Wolff implemented a water pump with variable speed control, which allows him to curtail the use of the pumps when there is high demand for electricity. He irrigates only the top of the hills, because the water migrates down, leading to a water system with 97 percent efficiency—“one of the top in any vineyard,” he says. In addition, Wolff chose to dry-farm (i.e., not irrigate) the old vine chardonnay so he could double his planted acreage without increasing water use. He explains that the “dry-farmed roots are deep and could handle two or three years of drought without measurable decline.” Another benefit of dry-farming is that deeper roots collect more trace minerals, “improving the complexity of the wine’s flavors.”

NATURAL HABITAT REPLENISHMENT: Wolff has re-established California native wildflowers, which offer a habitat for beneficial insects in the vineyard. He also has a breeding program for the native kestrel, red-tailed hawk, owl, and quail, which then attract other native birds, such as the golden eagle, bald eagle, and falcon, to the property. The birds, along with traps, provide rodent population control without the use of poison.

FISH HABITAT/CREEK REPLENISHMENT: In conjunction with various agencies, Wolff is restoring the steelhead trout habitat in the property’s two ecologically active streams, which lead to Pismo Beach. This includes building resting pools for the fish, which has the added benefit of reducing erosion and silting, and improving aquifer replenishing and water percolation. Creek replenishment techniques include willow mats and willow trenches to armor embankments and reduce erosion. Margy Lindquist, district conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, has partnered with Wolff on a variety of conservation projects. “He’s got a real total management system that’s very sustainable,” Lindquist says. “He’s kind of exceptional in his approach to the creek habitat.”

POND TURTLE REFUGE: Wolff has introduced a California native pond turtle refuge in conjunction with a local group and the California Department of Fish and Game. He notes that “the turtle doesn’t really benefit the vineyard—it’s just to mitigate the fact that I have a footprint—plus we enjoy watching the little guys.” Wolff “has very much figured out how to partner to his advantage,” says Stephanie Wald, watershed project manager for Central Coast Salmon Enhancement. “Rather than being afraid of the system, he uses it to do the work that he believes needs to be done. I call him my poster child for habitat enhancement.”