Our soils are fed in the tradition of pre-1940s agriculture. We forego the use of outside fertilizers, synthetic or otherwise. Instead I choose methods prescribed by my farming mentors. These old timers came from an era before the easy seduction of manufactured fertilizers. They showed me the only way to build an emphatically alive soil is to allow it to rest and grow a diverse menagerie of plant life. This plant life must stay with the site. If it is removed, the essence goes with it. Returning livestock to this mix is essential. Livestock consumes the plant life and returns it directly to the vineyard in a forms the vines assimilate. The cycle is started again.
This is the basis of my growing belief system. The vineyard floor is intensively managed for abundant life and diverse influences. This means letting the wild in while contributing species to enhance vine health, insect habitat and diversity. All of this leads to unique and intensely personal wines.