Elkfield Wines
by Jane Khoury
If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be back in my hometown of Ukiah making wine, I probably would have laughed. In those years away, I found my passion for winemaking and viticulture, and moreover the health benefits from it. But is all wine created equal?
Growing up on an organic vineyard, I knew exactly the type of wine that I wanted to make—wine that has extraordinary health benefits with minimal interventions. When I started this journey, I sought to find the balance between the land and the vines by transitioning the vineyard to biodynamic practices, exceeding the standards and regulations of organic farming.
Biodynamic farming has been proven to restore the normal antioxidant production of plants, which in turn increases the nutritional value of the fruit! It avoids all herbicides, insecticides, synthetic fertilizers, and, ultimately, relies on the health of the soil. In conventional farming, the soil is depleted of minerals such as potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium, and iron. With the focus on soil health, natural minerals are able to be incorporated into the fruit, allowing them to be more absorbable and usable by the body, naturally enhancing its function. A true healthy wine starts in the vineyard with a focus on organic and biodynamic management.
Biodynamic wine is even more beneficial since it’s made free of artificial interventions such as color, yeast, and additional winemaking enhancing strategies. Instead, biodynamic wine is created with indigenous yeast that naturally flourishes in the vineyard and concentrates on the fruit. As a result, biodynamic wine is filled with greater amounts of the gene longevity and anti-aging compounds such as resveratrol and flavonoids. Higher amounts of procyanidins are also found, which lessens your risk of heart disease while helping lower cholesterol, protecting against stroke and metabolic syndrome. It can be difficult to find wineries that make biodynamic wine. Luckily for Mendocino County, a new winery is certified biodynamic: Elkfield Wines!
When I started Elkfield Wines, I was determined for our wine to be an expression of our vineyards, with minimal interventions and zero additives, allowing our wines to fully express our viticulture practice, micro-climates, and terroirs. Every vine is delicately crafted with intention and precision, creating extraordinary components that are used in the architecture of Elkfield’s red and white wines.
As winemaker, I carefully tailor my winemaking techniques and implementations to the personality of each vintage and lot, beginning with organic and biodynamically certified estate grapes. The wine ferments using native yeast, while being closely monitored and fully expressing the biodynamic practices. With new world fruit and old-world winemaking, every wine is full of expression and unlike any wine you’ve tasted before.
Now, as you go to your local store to purchase wine, whether it is Elkfield Wines or another wonderful choice, I hope you use the following tools to help you choose the wine that is healthiest for you. Always look to see where the grapes are sourced. Are they grown organically or biodynamically? Most wineries that use organic or biodynamic grapes will state that they do. It is also important to see if they are certified, as certification by an independent third party means that there is a standard and a list of guidelines which need to be followed to continue certification. Grapes that are grown organically but not certified are able to use additional measures to their growing cycle if need be. Next, how do they make the wine? Are they free of interventions? By interventions we are looking for words such as enzyme, acid additions, adding color, or even adding sugar. It might be difficult to find these answers, but any winery that doesn’t use interventions will proudly say so on their website or label. Sulfur, too, can be seen as an additive, though low amounts of sulfur in wine allow for the wine to age and be drinkable in a year or more. Personally, I always look for a wine that has a little sulfur in it so that I am able to enjoy it in the future, not just immediately.
Finally, I leave you with this: Antioxidants, naturally found in wine and amplified by our Biodynamic farming, help keep our immune systems healthy. With all the stress we are facing these days, it is so important that we take advantage of natural immune boosters when we can. Wine is an enjoyable way to do so. Cheers!
Elkfield Wines
7801 East Hwy 20, Ukiah, CA 95482 | www.elkfieldwines.com
Tastings are by appointment only. Email info@elkfieldwines.com to book an appointment. Find Elkfield wines at Ukiah Natural Foods Coop or Mariposa Market.
Jane Khoury obtained her Bachelor of Science in Viticulture and Enology from the University of California, Davis, and a Masters of Business Administration in Wine Business from Sonoma State University. Jane pursues winemaking and regenerative agriculture while being an Intensive Care Unit Registered Nurse.
