Regenerative Organic: Farmed Like the World Depends on It + the Feral Wines of Tablas Creek #WorldWineTravel

I think we all know what an 'organic' certification means. Many know the meaning of 'biodynamic'. But the relatively 'regenerative organic' certification - that started in 2017 - is new in the wine world. I was thrilled to start learning more about this practice...and even more excited to share this long overdue post with World Wine Travel.

This month the #WorldWineTravel writers are exploring wine travel with Linda of My Full Wine Glass at the head of the 'On the Road Again'-themed event. She wrote: "Most wine bloggers love a chance to visit wineries, walk the vineyards, and meet the people who grow the grapes and make the wine. So, with apologies to Willie Nelson, let's use this World Wine Travel time together to write and talk about a wine road trip you've taken recently. What's your style on the road? Do you plan ahead or go where the road takes you? Do you go alone or with a traveling buddy? Do you have a designated driver? How many visits do you fit into a day? Any tips?"

The #WorldWineTravel Writers On The Road Again

• A Dreamy Day Trip to Rioja from Balboa by Wineivore

• At home and abroad, all roads lead to wine by My Full Wine Glass

• Exquisite Sips and Sailings: Carnival Cruiseline Wine Package by Our Good Life

• On the Road from Paris to Champagne by Food Wine Click!

• On the Road – Tips for Planning Wine Travel by Vino Tripping

• Our Visit to Youngblood Vineyards by A Day in the Life on the Farm

• Planning A Relaxing Wine Trip – Thank Gosh Our Strategy Changed! by Savor the Harvest

• Regenerative Organic: Farmed Like the World Depends on It + the Feral Wines of Tablas Creek by Culinary Cam (you're here)

• Soaking In Wine Country – How to Do it Right! by Crushed Grape Chronicles

Regenerative Organic: Farmed Like the World Depends on It

On my fiftieth birthday - half century! - trip to Paso Robles last year, Jason Haas of Tablas Creek Vineyard graciously agreed to meet with me. Jake and I spent two hours walking in the vineyard with him and another hour and a half in the tasting room. Tablas Creek is the world's first regenerative organic vineyard. Let that sink in: the world's first! That visit left quite an impression on me.

The Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC™) is a revolutionary certification that champions practices that go above and beyond organic farming. The three-legged stool of the ROC™: soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness. By attaining this certification, Tablas Creek is committed to finding and embracing long-term solutions to climate change and some of the largest agricultural issues of our time. And their efforts are mind-blowingly amazing.

Tablas Creek Vineyard

Jason Haas - in the vineyard, in the winery, and in the tasting room

But, first, let's look at the history of Tablas Creek. Its genesis was the combined efforts of the Perrin family, of Château de Beaucastel, and the Haas family of Vineyard Brands. The partnership began in 1987 and continues though recent decades have had the next generation moving into leadership roles.

When the partners began looking for property in California, they searched from the foothills of the Sierras to coastal Ventura County; they were looking for a close match to the Mediterranean climate and high pH soils of Château de Beaucastel. In 1989, they purchased a 120-acre parcel in what is now the Adelaida District west of Paso Robles. In honor of the creek running through the property, they named it Tablas Creek Vineyard. Sitting at an average of 1500 feet above sea level, the soils - shallow, rocky limestone - are similar to Château de Beaucastel. And the climate in Paso Robles is remarkably similar to the Rhône with hot, sunny Summer days that cool with the ocean breezes in the evening. There is sufficient rainfall in the Winter that allowed the vines to be dry-farmed during the rest of the year.

The Three Pillars of ROC™

Soil Health

Regenerative farming is a style of organic farming where soil health is at the root of the practices. Obviously the property must be certified organic, but, then, additional strategies are employed to build up the health of the soil. These include no-till farming, cover cropping, managing livestock and mob grazing, and creating habitat for pollinators and beneficial insects. One of the fundamental tenets for ROC™ is that farming is an agent for combating climate change and requires reducing the use of non-renewable resources. The ROC™ slogan is: "Farm like the world depends on it." Because it does.

Haas detailed how they submit soil sample to see how healthy their soil is and if they are, in fact, improving their environment. For their cover crops, they have daikon, fava beans, vetch, two kinds of clovers, and sweet peas. I had no idea that the radish flowers I so adore in the Springtime are daikon flowers. Haas pulled one up and explained how they benefit from the daikon. Not only is it a nitrogen fixer, but as the daikon ages and decomposes underground, it leaves air pockets that breaks up the dense and compacted soils.

Animal Welfare

Like the soil health pillar, ROC™ requires that livestock on the property be certified organic under USDA standards. And, going above that, the requirements necessitate the humane treatment of all livestock including health, nutrition, shelter, protection, herding methods, handling methods, transportation, and slaughter. The herd at Tablas Creek is not only certified by CCOF, Demeter-USA, and Regenerative Organic, they are also certified by Animal Welfare Approved. They keep sheep in the vineyards from harvest to the following year's bud break; they also have alpacas. The animals graze one to five acres at a time, eating weeds and adding built-in fertilizer with their urine and feces. Additionally, the impact of the animals' hooves augment the microflora in the soil. Currently the herd is protected from wolves and predators by the resident Spanish Mastiffs, Bjorn and Adelita, Mastín Español is a breed of dog from Spain, originally bred to be a guard dog whose specialized purpose is to be a livestock guardian dog. But before the guard dogs, they utilized guard donkeys, Fiona and Dottie. The duo would graze the rows alongside the sheep they were protecting.

Just last month they added Desmond the Decker Terrier to the Tablas team. Decker Terriers are known for their speed and ferocity when hunting small prey, so Desmond plays an important roll in pest mitigation by tracking down the ground squirrels in the vineyards. They also have forty-three owl boxes on the property for the same purpose.

I noticed a cooler by the front door of tasting room that held packages of Tablas Creek lamb. I was instantly intrigued and found out that the females are added to the flock long-term, but rams can cause issues as they fight for dominance and don't contribute to building the flock for the next year. So, once the male lambs reach a certain age, they are humanely harvested and offered to local restaurants and in the tasting room as sustainable, delicious meat for sale. Naturally, I bought some and happily paired the lamb with some of the Tablas wine they helped produce.

Social Fairness

The final pillar of the ROC™ - and the one that differs from most other certifications - is its Social Welfare Pillar. This requires that an ROC™ company treats its workers fairly; not only do they have to do good for the planet, but they have to be good people as well. The certification guarantees that the farmworkers, both contracted and sub-contracted, receive a living wage, work in safe conditions, and understand their rights.

The Vines of Tablas Creek

To ensure that the vines at Tablas Creek were of the highest quality and same genetic source of those at Beaucastel, the partners imported vinifera from Château de Beaucastel in 1990. After a three-year mandated USDA quarantine, Tablas Creek had several clones of Mourvédre, Grenache Noir, Syrah, Counoise, Roussanne, Viognier, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, and various rootstocks to plant. A decade later, they added Cinsaut, Terret Noir, Muscardin, Vaccarese, Picardan, Clairette Blanche, and Bourboulenc to their collection. All of these grapes are now planted at Tablas Creek as well as being available to other interested growers.

Wine Kegs

There were so many things about the operation at Tablas Creek that impressed me, But the wine-on-tap might just be one of the most memorable. Haas talked about the usual flow of wine from vat to barrel to bottle. He asked: "What's the most useless glass bottle?" The answer: The one that never leaves the winery.

Haas shared that in 2022, they opened over 13,000 bottles in the tasting room. But by eliminating the bottle part, they are saving all those bottles as well as guaranteeing freshness, reducing wine waste, and supporting sustainability. In the kegs, when wine is expressed, it is replaced by an inert gas. The wine inside isn't exposed to oxygen and that preserves freshness. Also restaurants dump out the unused portions of most opened bottles at the end of each service as well as any bottle that has been open for several days. Keg wines, because they retain their freshness, are good to their last pour. Less waste!

Lastly, kegs eliminate wasteful packaging. From bottles to capsules and corks to labels, using the stainless steel kegs result in more than 75% savings in the wineries carbon footprint versus packaging the same wine in bottles.

The Feral Wines of Tablas Creek

Through another ninety minutes or so, Haas took us through a guided tasting of their Classic Flight, their Seasonal Flight, and their Red Flight. The Classic Flight consists of one complex white wine, one dry rosé, and three elegant reds. The Red Flight had us exploring five elegant, balanced and complex red wines.

Top memories of the day: a wine Jake doesn't want to share with food. And I am a fan on feral wines. I knew I leaned towards funky wines, but feral is a new and apt descriptor of my tastes.

Naturally I left Tablas Creek with many bottles and even more ideas for pairing the wines. With other visits to Field Recordings and Eberle, this was my wine haul from my birthday trip to Paso!

The 2020 Complice, 2019 Petit Manseng, 2018 Esprit de Tablas, 2013 Esprit de Tablas Blanc, and 2020 Tannat were my feral favorites. At least those were the ones that came home with me.

2020 Complice: In French, Le Complice means, roughly, 'partners in crime.' A blend of 77% Syrah, 15% Grenache, and 8% Terret Noir, this wine displayed a gorgeous savoriness with chalky minerality and the brightness of berries and fresh herbs. (retail $60)

2019 Petit Manseng: What surprised me about this most was that I enjoyed it. I don't typically like sweet wines and while this one starts with anticipated notes of honey and candied fruits, an intense layer of pink peppercorn comes out at the end with herbaceous flavors of lemon balm. (retail $50)

2018 Esprit de Tablas: The flagship red blend from Tablas Creek is comprised by 40% Mourvedre, 27% Syrah, 23% Grenache, and 10% Counoise. Where Mourvèdre can be moody, the other grapes lend a lift and balance. Think tea leaves, citrus peel, aniseed, and violets. It's no wonder that this is a perennial favorite. It's delicious. (retail $75)

2013 Esprit de Tablas Blanc: I have never had a decade-old white wine! Have you? This one is 71% Roussanne, 21% Grenache Blanc, and 8% Picpoul Blanc. The 2013 Esprit de Tablas Blanc has an earthy sweetness of Summer stone fruit with a slick of caramel, but there are underlying notes of clove and cardamom that I usually only notice in red wines. This wine has a rich, nutty complexity that was such a treat. (retail price $80)

2020 Tannat: While I thought this was a single varietal, it's actually 97% Tannat tempered with 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. Like most Tannats, this one abounds with black fruit and warm spices. But this Tannat was deliciously and surprisingly lighter than most. There were floral notes that reminded me of mountain biking in Fort Ord National Monument when the lupines are in bloom. (retail $50)

The Neighborhood Pairings

But the pairings I wanted to share for this event are with the Patelin de Tablas wines. While I adored all of the wines above, with price points north of fifty dollars a bottle, they are definitely special occasion wines. And I wanted to offer some pairings that are more everyday. So I ended up pouring the 2023 Patelin de Tablas Rosé with some Crunchy Grilled Shrimp Tacos and the 2022 Patelin de Tablas with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic over Polenta. Both bottles retail for $30 or less on their website.

Patelin is French slang for 'neighborhood,' so Patelin de Tablas is their neighborhood wine.

2023 Patelin de Tablas Rosé with Crunchy Grilled Shrimp Tacos

I will be sharing my Crunchy Grilled Shrimp Tacos for an event in September, but this wine would be a perfect pairing with any seafood tacos that you love.

The Patelin de Tablas Rosé is based on direct-pressed Grenache (71%), with additions of Mourvedre (20%), Vermentino (8%), and Counoise (1%) before being aged in stainless steel. It poured a pretty apricot color. On the nose, it abounds with Summer stone fruits, ripe strawberries, and a layer of heady jasmine and garden roses. On the palate, I found it fruity but bright. Think strawberry pie with a dollop of lemon curd. This was a delicious flavor foil to my salty, spicy tacos.

2022 Patelin de Tablas with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic over Polenta

I made this for the first family dinner since R moved home after graduating from college. It's simple but filling and I rounded out the meal with a green salad topped with pluots and a cherry crumble.

The wine is made up of 54% Syrah, 29% Grenache, 13% Mourvedre, 3% Counoise, and 1% Terret Noir and aged in 1500-gallon French oak. I don't think I have ever described a wine as umami, but this one definitely was. On the nose there were layers of fennel, wet granite, and olallies. On the palate, black fruit mirrored the aromas but were tempered with bright acids and wild herbs. This wine was complex and haunting...and it definitely evolved throughout the meal as we poured it with the salad, the main dish, and the dessert.

Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic over Polenta

Did you know that 'polenta' is colloquial in Italian for 'slow-poke'? Did you know that you can make this staple of cucina povera with only a handful of ingredients? Then you can top it with whatever deliciousness you can imagine. For this pairing, I topped it with slow-roasted Summer tomatoes and two entire heads of garlic. For the meat-lovers at my table, I had braised short ribs.

Polenta

serves 4 to 5

• 1 cup polenta

• 4 cups stock (I used chicken stock, but use vegetable if you need to keep it vegetarian)

• olive oil

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 cup grated cheese (I used pecorino romano, but use parmesan or whatever you wish)

• Also needed: salt, pepper, and herbs (I used fresh chives)

Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic

• ripe tomatoes

• garlic heads

• olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place tomatoes in a roasting dish. Slice the tips off the garlic heads and nestle them between the tomatoes. Generously drizzle olive oil over the entire pan and place in the preheated oven. Roast for an hour. The tomatoes should be charred and caramelized; the garlic should be golden brown and tender.

In the last 30 minutes of your tomatoes roasting, make the polenta. Pour stock into a large pot and bring it to a boil. While stirring so the polenta doesn't stick together, tip the polenta into the pan. Add a glug of olive oil and keep stirring. After about 10 minutes the liquid will be dissolved and the polenta softening. Pour in the cup of water - or you can use more stock if you prefer - and keep stirring. Once the polenta has the consistency of porridge, fold in the grated cheese and stir until it is incorporated and melted.

To serve, pour the polenta onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then spoon the roasted tomatoes on top and squeeze the roasted garlic from its husk. Scatter fresh herbs over the top and serve immediately.

Well, that's a wrap on my very belated post about my birthday visit to Tablas Creek Vineyard in May 2023. There was just so much information that excited me that I delayed putting it into words. Thanks to Linda for the nudge to get it done. Paso Robles isn't that far from us. I will definitely get on the road again and make another trip to Tablas Creek.

I realize that I didn't answer Linda's prompts.: What's your style on the road? Do you plan ahead or go where the road takes you? Do you go alone or with a traveling buddy? Do you have a designated driver? How many visits do you fit into a day? Any tips?

I do plan ahead, picking wineries that have something of interest. In this case, I wanted to delve into the regenerative organic practices of Tablas Creek. I had had wines from Field Recordings and was curious about them. And years ago, Pia and I visited Eberle while the guys watched the kids. I wanted to take Jake on the cave tour. I don't usually go alone. As empty nesters, Jake and I are typically together for my wine and food adventures. No one needs to stay behind to manage kid schedules anymore. And I try to focus on one winery per day with other destination activities thrown in.

As an example, during this trip to Paso, we hit Field Recordings then spent the afternoon at a spa, getting massages and lounging in their mineral hot tubs. The next day was our Tablas Creek visit. The third day we did a cave tour at Eberle and hunted for wildflowers at Carrizo Plain National Monument. So, I love wine travel and exploring an area. But I am judicious about my time and make sure that we enjoy other aspects of the area as well.

And a tip: if you like to cook like I do, rent a place with a kitchen instead of staying in a hotel. We rented a tiny house and we were able to relax in our own space while I cooked and paired wines we were enjoying from our winery visits. Cheers!

The wine writers will return in September with a French Winophiles event that celebrates French Grenache. Deanna of Wineivore is hosting. Stay tuned!