Darek Trowbridge's guest appearances

Darek Trowbridge

California Wine Country

Green Planet Blue Planet Podcast

Team Terroir Podcast

Organic Wine Podcast

Greg La Follette

Martha Stoumen

Andrew Smith

Danica Patrick

Steve Matthiasson

Abe Schoener

Sandor Katz

Jeff Lowenfels

Francis Ford Coppola

David Ramey

Bob Cabral

Brian McClintic

Mimi Casteel

Alan Baker

Alexander Valley

OwlTail

Dan and Darek.World Winery winemaker Darek Trowbridge is our guest on California Wine Country with Harry Duke sitting in for Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Darek founded Old World Winery to practice natural winemaking. He is also featured in a documentary on natural wine called Living Wine, being released this month.Dan Berger has brought another cellar dweller this week, from Dan’s deep, dark and dangerous cellar. He thought the 2019 Jim Barry Watervale Riesling would be good on a hot day like today. Bottle Barn has this wine for under $17. Darek says it is hard to get this wine right when it is this dry but they did a good job.The Old World Winery is a small family owned and operated winery in the Russian River Valley. Darek started Old World Winery after getting a Master’s degree in winemaking in 1998. He set out to make natural wine and has been doing that for 24 years. Recently it has taken off. Dan Berger says a new restaurant that opens in Los Angeles today has to have some natural wine on the wine list. People want nothing added that does not come from grapes.Wines that are “Interesting”Dan remembers being a judge at a wine competition once, and every single wine was exactly the same color, without any variation. Darek says that he sets out to make what he can call flawed wine. He makes “interesting” wines that are decidedly not uniform.Click the logo to visit our sponsor Bottle Barn online for the coolest bargains on wine, beer and spirits. He has a wine called Bloom, which is a chillable red. It is not a deep rich red, but rather a light red. It is an unusual wine, compared to what we usually see. Many larger wineries are locked into a type, that includes sterile filtration. But these wines, unfiltered, keep more flavor and aroma in the wine. Other wine may look better but doesn’t smell as nice. It’s a manufacturing tool that produces uniformity. Darek quit doing filtration about 10 years ago. They and their consumers like their product to be kind of unpolished. Dan Berger says this is a serious category that is removing us from the tyranny of “the numbers” meaning how many points it has. They are located on River Road, open Fridays and Saturdays. It’s close to the freeway. The second wine tasted is a bit deeper red. Tannin doesn’t really go well in the natural wine category. This is still a light red, even if darker than the Bloom. It’s chillable, but also nice not chilled. Its name is Impulse. The label says “whole cluster, foot stomped.” People come to stomp, including interns and volunteers. It’s a blend of Merlot and Petit Syrah. Living Wine Darek describes Laurie Miller, the producer-director who with her brother Ben Miller were interested in natural wine. She called to inquire about filming some segments, in 2020. A few other natural wine producers are also in the movie. Living Wine is a story about the people who make wine. It follows some natural winemakers in northern California. The movie’s website says, “Equal parts farmer, winemaker, and artist, they stay true to their ideals of creating exceptional wines made through innovative sustainable and regenerative farming and without chemical additives.” This film will be showing at the Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol, California, from Friday August 19 through Thursday August 25. It was released at the DocLands festival in Marin where it was a hit. They are tasting the 2009 Merlot, the third wine tasted today, which curiously, is still available at Old World Winery. Dan says it doesn’t smell or taste like most Merlot today. It reminds him of the 1970s, with dried herbs, fresh herbs and black cherries that Merlot should have, and without the high tannins which it should not have. Darek describes how this wine was made and what he is looking for in the process. It is very unusual to release a 2009 right now. At only 12.4% ABV, the alcohol does not overpower the fruit flavors.

Dan and Darek.World Winery winemaker Darek Trowbridge is our guest on California Wine Country with Harry Duke sitting in for Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Darek founded <a href="https://www.oldworldwinery.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Old World Winery</a> to practice natural winemaking. He is also featured in a documentary on natural wine called <a href="https://www.wine.film/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Living Wine</a>, being released this month.Dan Berger has brought another cellar dweller this week, from Dan’s deep, dark and dangerous cellar. He thought the 2019 Jim Barry Watervale Riesling would be good on a hot day like today. Bottle Barn has this wine for under $17. Darek says it is hard to get this wine right when it is this dry but they did a good job.The Old World Winery is a small family owned and operated winery in the Russian River Valley. Darek started Old World Winery after getting a Master’s degree in winemaking in 1998. He set out to make natural wine and has been doing that for 24 years. Recently it has taken off. Dan Berger says a new restaurant that opens in Los Angeles today has to have some natural wine on the wine list. People want nothing added that does not come from grapes.<h4>Wines that are “Interesting”</h4>Dan remembers being a judge at a wine competition once, and every single wine was exactly the same color, without any variation. Darek says that he sets out to make what he can call flawed wine. He makes “interesting” wines that are decidedly not uniform.<a href="https://bottlebarn.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Click the logo to visit our sponsor Bottle Barn online for the coolest bargains on wine, beer and spirits. He has a wine called Bloom, which is a chillable red. It is not a deep rich red, but rather a light red. It is an unusual wine, compared to what we usually see. Many larger wineries are locked into a type, that includes sterile filtration. But these wines, unfiltered, keep more flavor and aroma in the wine. Other wine may look better but doesn’t smell as nice. It’s a manufacturing tool that produces uniformity. Darek quit doing filtration about 10 years ago. They and their consumers like their product to be kind of unpolished. Dan Berger says this is a serious category that is removing us from the tyranny of “the numbers” meaning how many points it has. They are located on River Road, open Fridays and Saturdays. It’s close to the freeway. The second wine tasted is a bit deeper red. Tannin doesn’t really go well in the natural wine category. This is still a light red, even if darker than the Bloom. It’s chillable, but also nice not chilled. Its name is Impulse. The label says “whole cluster, foot stomped.” People come to stomp, including interns and volunteers. It’s a blend of Merlot and Petit Syrah. <h4>Living Wine</h4> <a href="https://calwinecountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/living-wine-movie-key-art.jpg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Darek describes Laurie Miller, the producer-director who with her brother Ben Miller were interested in natural wine. She called to inquire about filming some segments, in 2020. A few other natural wine producers are also in the movie. <a href="https://www.wine.film/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Living Wine</a> is a story about the people who make wine. It follows some natural winemakers in northern California. The movie’s website says, “Equal parts farmer, winemaker, and artist, they stay true to their ideals of creating exceptional wines made through innovative sustainable and regenerative farming and without chemical additives.” This film will be showing at the Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol, California, from Friday August 19 through Thursday August 25. It was released at the DocLands festival in Marin where it was a hit. They are tasting the 2009 Merlot, the third wine tasted today, which curiously, is still available at Old World Winery. Dan says it doesn’t smell or taste like most Merlot today. It reminds him of the 1970s, with dried herbs, fresh herbs and black cherries that Merlot should have, and without the high tannins which it should not have. Darek describes how this wine was made and what he is looking for in the process. It is very unusual to release a 2009 right now. At only 12.4% ABV, the alcohol does not overpower the fruit flavors.

Old World Winery winemaker Darek Trowbridge

My guest for this episode is Darek Trowbridge. Darek is the mind and body behind Old World Winery. He refers to himself as a soil farmer rather than a grape farmer, and this earth-first approach had led him to coin the term “Pastoral Winemaker” … because Darek has been making Natural Wine since before anyone called it natural wine. That’s right, Darek is a pioneer in the natural wine movement, and a true OG who started his winery in the 90’s and was farming vineyards before that. He has a wealth of information to share from well over 25 years of regenerating vineyard ecosystems and shepherding wine. We talk about exactly how he does this, bringing vineyards planted in the 1800’s back to vibrant vitality by building soil carbon. We talk about how he uses sesame oil as his only fungicide, his farming of the only Abouriou vineyard in the New World, and how he is helping Sonoma County reduce wildfire risk while regenerating soil health with proprietary woodchip compost through his Soil Carbon Management Company. Darek is someone who has ignored the trends and just continued to make farming-first wine for decades. And because of that he probably hasn’t gotten the attention he deserves. So I’m thrilled to be able to share the beautiful work he’s been doing. https://www.oldworldwinery.com/ Sponsor: https://www.centralaswine.com/

My guest for this episode is Darek Trowbridge. Darek is the mind and body behind Old World Winery. He refers to himself as a soil farmer rather than a grape farmer, and this earth-first approach had led him to coin the term “Pastoral Winemaker” … because Darek has been making Natural Wine since before anyone called it natural wine. That’s right, Darek is a pioneer in the natural wine movement, and a true OG who started his winery in the 90’s and was farming vineyards before that. He has a wealth of information to share from well over 25 years of regenerating vineyard ecosystems and shepherding wine. We talk about exactly how he does this, bringing vineyards planted in the 1800’s back to vibrant vitality by building soil carbon. We talk about how he uses sesame oil as his only fungicide, his farming of the only Abouriou vineyard in the New World, and how he is helping Sonoma County reduce wildfire risk while regenerating soil health with proprietary woodchip compost through his Soil Carbon Management Company. Darek is someone who has ignored the trends and just continued to make farming-first wine for decades. And because of that he probably hasn’t gotten the attention he deserves. So I’m thrilled to be able to share the beautiful work he’s been doing. <a href="https://www.oldworldwinery.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.oldworldwinery.com/</a> Sponsor: <a href="https://www.centralaswine.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.centralaswine.com/</a>

Darek Trowbridge - Old World Winery, Soil Carbon Management Co., & Pastoral Winemaking

Darek Trowbridge from Old World Winery discusses natural wine on today's California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Today's show was recorded live in downtown Santa Rosa, in front of the Bollywood Restaurant.Darek Trowbridge is the owner of Old World Winery which produces natural wine, which they will describe on the show. Dan introduces the subject of natural wine. There are some people in the wine producing business who are seeking the old traditional methods. But Dan says nobody has defined Natural Wine. There could be 30 different kinds of it, each one different. Dan says it's a wide open discussion and Darek can help define it because he's doing it.Darek mentions the book "Natural Wine" by Isabelle Legeron. She is French and lives in London. She holds the title MW, for Master of Wine. He says people have been making wine for 8000 years so there must be a simple low-tech way.Dan explains in layman's terms that for a long time, thousands of years, winemakers have used sulphur dioxide. The natural wine movement is divided on it. It is absolutely legal and has no negative effects in a bottle of wine, on the human body, except to people who are drinking vinegar at the same time as drinking wine.Dan asks, now many additives are permitted in wine? Darek says it's about 75. Dan says the quality of the wine is a crucial element in its enjoyment. If the wine is not good, there is no point in making it. Dan again says the problem is that there is no definition that people can agree too.Darek says the preference for natural wine is similar to organic food, some people may choose to eat organically. People tried organic wine, which Darek explains is different than natural wine. Dan says that some organic wines simply don't last in the bottle at all.First, they taste some wines from Darek's vineyard, planted in 1890 by his grandfather. This is a 2013 wine. Dan says you don't think about the varietal, it's just good. These wines are silky and soft. Dan says you don't have to age it very long. It's simple wine and just tastes good. Luminous. Steve reads the label, Early Burgundy, Russian River Valley.After the break they taste a sparkling red, an old method called "col fondo" and he knew someone who taught him the process. First you barrel age a base wine, then the next year, you add fresh juice which will then ferment to make a sparkling wine. The sparkling is natural in the bottle. They leave it capped, and the little bit of sediment keeps it rich. Dan says this is where wine took its beginnings. Every single bottle is its own fermentation tank, so theoretically, every single bottle could be different. Dan says this is one of the adventures of wine tasting.  It is slightly effervescent, or pearly, or as Darek says the Italian term, frizzante.Dan says this wine's lower acidity helps, especially at secondary fermentation; if you have too much acidity, you have to add some sugar to balance it, and with that you risk re-fermentation. The winemaker knows he has just enough sugar. Dan says it would be more expensive if they are paying "the bubble tax." Dan says fruit flies always go to the best wine and Dan had a fly in his wine. Darek says at harvest time in Sonoma County, fruit flies are all over the place.Steve also talks about Della Toffola USA a new sponsor that is a major producer of high quality winemaking equipment. This family-owned company was founded in the 1960s in Italy. The Santa Rosa office is their US branch and they also have offices in Australia, South America, Mexico and many in Europe.Dan Berger delivers the quote of the day, from Groucho Marx: "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana."That sparkling red was a 2015 that was in barrels for two years. Now they pour a 2008 that was made with sur lies fermentation. Dan says for 10 years old, its tannins are very soft. As a low alcohol and low tannin red wine, with 10 years in the bottle, it is very smooth.

Darek Trowbridge from Old World Winery discusses natural wine on today's California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Today's show was recorded live in downtown Santa Rosa, in front of the Bollywood Restaurant. Darek Trowbridge is the owner of Old World Winery which produces natural wine, which they will describe on the show. Dan introduces the subject of natural wine. There are some people in the wine producing business who are seeking the old traditional methods. But Dan says nobody has defined Natural Wine. There could be 30 different kinds of it, each one different. Dan says it's a wide open discussion and Darek can help define it because he's doing it. Darek mentions the book "Natural Wine" by Isabelle Legeron. She is French and lives in London. She holds the title MW, for Master of Wine. He says people have been making wine for 8000 years so there must be a simple low-tech way. Dan explains in layman's terms that for a long time, thousands of years, winemakers have used sulphur dioxide. The natural wine movement is divided on it. It is absolutely legal and has no negative effects in a bottle of wine, on the human body, except to people who are drinking vinegar at the same time as drinking wine. Dan asks, now many additives are permitted in wine? Darek says it's about 75. Dan says the quality of the wine is a crucial element in its enjoyment. If the wine is not good, there is no point in making it. Dan again says the problem is that there is no definition that people can agree too. Darek says the preference for natural wine is similar to organic food, some people may choose to eat organically. People tried organic wine, which Darek explains is different than natural wine. Dan says that some organic wines simply don't last in the bottle at all. First, they taste some wines from Darek's vineyard, planted in 1890 by his grandfather. This is a 2013 wine. Dan says you don't think about the varietal, it's just good. These wines are silky and soft. Dan says you don't have to age it very long. It's simple wine and just tastes good. Luminous. Steve reads the label, Early Burgundy, Russian River Valley. After the break they taste a sparkling red, an old method called "col fondo" and he knew someone who taught him the process. First you barrel age a base wine, then the next year, you add fresh juice which will then ferment to make a sparkling wine. The sparkling is natural in the bottle. They leave it capped, and the little bit of sediment keeps it rich. Dan says this is where wine took its beginnings. Every single bottle is its own fermentation tank, so theoretically, every single bottle could be different. Dan says this is one of the adventures of wine tasting.  It is slightly effervescent, or pearly, or as Darek says the Italian term, frizzante. Dan says this wine's lower acidity helps, especially at secondary fermentation; if you have too much acidity, you have to add some sugar to balance it, and with that you risk re-fermentation. The winemaker knows he has just enough sugar. Dan says it would be more expensive if they are paying "the bubble tax." Dan says fruit flies always go to the best wine and Dan had a fly in his wine. Darek says at harvest time in Sonoma County, fruit flies are all over the place. Steve also talks about Della Toffola USA a new sponsor that is a major producer of high quality winemaking equipment. This family-owned company was founded in the 1960s in Italy. The Santa Rosa office is their US branch and they also have offices in Australia, South America, Mexico and many in Europe. Dan Berger delivers the quote of the day, from Groucho Marx: "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." That sparkling red was a 2015 that was in barrels for two years. Now they pour a 2008 that was made with sur lies fermentation. Dan says for 10 years old, its tannins are very soft. As a low alcohol and low tannin red wine, with 10 years in the bottle, it is very smooth.

Darek Trowbridge from Old World Winery