Paul Dolan Wines tastily Organic
by Darryl Beeson
Paul Dolan was present for the wine revolt. With 27 years at the renowned yet affordable Fetzer Vineyards (a dozen years as the president), he took them to the head of organic viticulture and sustainability.
“We want to make a difference in this community,” says Dolan, “and we are. When Mendocino farmers get together, we talk about organics and biodynamics because we strongly believe these practices are good for the land and for wine quality.”
His grandfather, Edmund Ross, operated the famous Italian Swiss Colony winery. “Granddad visited us in Oakland every weekend,” remembers Dolan. “At our family table you could always count on great food and wine, and stories of the old days.”
Now at Parducci and Mendocino Wine, he is still a mover in the industry. “We are clear about what we want,” says Paul, “ - - an environmentally and socially conscious winery making great wines from Mendocino. We are farming from the standpoint of respect for the land and the natural environment.” Paul and Parducci winemaker Bob Swain work with a constant focus on quality and pure expression of Mendocino terroir.
Paul’s greatest passion, however, is winegrowing at his family-owned Dark Horse Ranch, east of the Russian River in the foothills north of Hopland. He and sons Heath and Jason chose this place because of its diverse natural beauty, dramatic terrain and deep red soils. It has been a family project and a labor of love to convert 70 acres of grapes into a certified BiodynamicÆ vineyard. An earnest student of Rudolf Steiner (the father of the biodynamic movement), Paul embraces Steiner’s premise that each piece of land has its own unique expression. The Dolan family is nurturing the land to capture that expression in Paul Dolan Vineyards wines. In 2004 Paul and his sons harvested the first Dark Horse grapes (Syrah, Zinfandel and Petite Sirah). The resulting wine, named Deep Red for the Red Vine soil series in which the vines grow, is a limited production, certified biodynamic wine. “Dark Horse Ranch is my family’s home, where my sons and their children are fifth and sixth-generation winegrowers in the Russian River basin. We’re rooted here. I am part of the fabric of this place: the water, air, wine and food are part of me.”
Paul’s goal is to make Parducci and MWC a model for the wine business. In turn, he is determined to develop the wine industry as a model for all agriculture, worldwide. “We are seeing a shift, an awakening, where people are taking a strong stand on the food and wine they consume and its impact on the environment. The greatest challenge in the world today is global warming. All of us, individuals and businesses, must do all we can to meet this challenge.” This is the message he delivers as an industry leader, winemaker, farmer and father. Paul knows that sustainability is an economic asset and a competitive advantage, as well as an imperative for healthy life on this planet. He is spreading the word – for the good of business, the community and the environment.
A sustainable business should be a whole business, like a whole person. It must have integrity. It must have a moral center. It must be connected to its values and the greater world. It must aspire to do what is right, not just for the bottom line, not just from a legal standpoint, but from a moral and ethical standpoint. It’s not only accountable, it’s responsible. Paul Dolan, True to Our Roots, Fermenting a Business Revolution, 2003
Paul resides in Healdsburg, California with his wife Diana and daughter Sassicaia. He spends leisure time in his Mendocino County vineyards and on horseback at Dark Horse Ranch.
2OO7 SAUVIGNON BLANC
Mendocino County
Black bears roam the hillsides by the headwaters of the Russian River, where two adjacent vineyards (each with its own hydroelectric power plant!) provided the grapes for this wine. This northern vineyard area is a land of extremes, with cold nights and hot days. The wine has a distinctive kiwi fruit character, with bright citrus zest and lemon grass notes. This wine is the unique expression of a carefully nurtured piece of land, made manifest in each bottle. We do without conventional pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, treating the soil as a living, life-giving system. Our winegrowing practices create special wines, while sustaining our environment, the place where we live, and the people who live here.
VARIETALS: 100% SAUVIGNON BLANC
COOPERAGE: 100% STAINLESS STEEL
ALCOHOL: 13.5% BY VOLUME
TA: 0.62 G/100ML
PH: 3.18
CASES: 3,900
2OO6 ZINFANDEL
Mendocino County / Amador County
The Mendocino County Zinfandel in this bottle includes fruit from the Dolan family's vineyard south of Talmage. Paul Dolan's old friend, Frank Alviso, provided the Amador County component for this wine. Mendocino County gives this wine its jammy berry quality. Amador County lends a distinctive peppery spice. Together these opposites attract into a perfect marriage. This wine is the unique expression of a carefully nurtured piece of land, made manifest in each bottle. We do without conventional pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, treating the soil as a living, life-giving system. Our winegrowing practices create special wines, while sustaining our environment, the place where we live, and the people who live here.
VINEYARDS: 63% MENDOCINO COUNTY
37% AMADOR COUNTY
COOPERAGE: 13 MONTHS IN BARREL
(FRENCH & AMERICAN)
ALCOHOL: 14.5% BY VOLUME
TA: 0.54 G/100ML
PH: 3.68
CASES: 3,365 CASES
