Cormorant Cellars

The respect for what terroir is, demands a ‘green’ perspective!

“If I am leaving this place worse than it was when I first started making wine, none of this is worth it.”

Charles' early winemaking experience with organic winegrowing pioneers in California was instrumental in further developing sustainable principles. Charles started at Fetzer as an assistant winemaker and quickly rose to Senior Winemaker during his 12 years, and his commitment to sustainability colored his tenure. Beyond the cellar, Charles led sustainability-focused projects aimed at reducing energy consumption and conserving water. These projects shaped his green-focused philosophy of sustainability.

Wine Growing Practices

Charles’s philosophy begins in the vineyard, and he works exclusively with growers who have strong organic farming practices in regions with a strong maritime influence, which is why the coastal Cormorant bird is the symbol of wine. Many of his vineyard partnerships have been built over 15 to 30 years, allowing him to know the people behind the fruit and build firsthand trust in their farming methods. Some vineyards are certified organic, and others practice organic farming without formal certification, but every vineyard he sources from must meet his standards for sustainable stewardship, such as composting and the absence of synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers. This commitment is essential in producing wines that authentically reflect both the vineyard and the values behind them.

Vineyards

Zabala Vineyard - Gamay - Certified Organic – Arroyo Seco, Monterey

- A region known for very rocky, ancient riverbed cobble soils and cool, ocean winds

Preston Family - Grenache Blanc/Marsanne - Certified Organic – Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma

- Sheep are employed for spring weed control

Martorana Family - Sauvignon Blanc - Certified Organic – Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma

- Dry farmed for sustainability

Fenaughty - Vermentino - Farmed Organically – El Dorado, Sierra Foothills

- They employ a no-till strategy for soil protection with native seed cover crops

- The vineyard crew works year-round with the diversified Goldbud farms’ field rotation for worker sustainability

Winemaking Practices:

Winemaker Charlie Gilmore’s commitment to winemaking sustainability was first inspired by the realization that steam cleaning barrels, tanks, hoses and tools is more effective and safer for the environment than using chemicals. This simple step crystallized his vision for a responsible and environmentally conscious career. The theme of simplicity drives his native yeast, non-interventionist process to make the best wines possible.

● Charlie uses neutral, used French oak barrels and some stainless drums and small tanks. Once the juice is in the barrels and drums, he does do not pump, freeze, or use machinery to manipulate these wines.

● Charlie’s commitment to hands-on work – checking each barrel during fermentation daily, doing multiple pushdowns for red fermentations, smelling the ferments multiple times a day, barrel sampling to know the expression and life of the wine – is also part of his sustainable process,

● Charlie exclusively uses glass bottles manufactured in North American countries, rather than shipping glass bottles from Eastern or Western Asia as many USA wineries do. This drastically reduces the carbon footprint generated from long-distance delivery. It’s more expensive, but much more sustainable. “This is worth it.”

● Charlie avoids the use of traditional but unnecessary bottle capsules

"For me, I have to be able to step back and look at the whole process and ask how I can make the best wines, and where I can improve each step so that the wines are sustainable."