LUPINE 

UPDATE 9/9/22: I made the shortlist! To determine the Reader’s Prize, you can vote for up to three entries from now  until Wednesday, September 21 9am UK time. It’s easy: you can can find the link to vote and the shortlist here. 

The young foster dog “Lupine” was restless. I’d just finished a 90 minute conversation with Ventura County fifth generation farmer Phil McGrath, a statewide leader in regenerative farming, or as he likes to think of it, successional farming, meaning farming in a way that considers successive generations. So begins my submission to the Jancis Robinson Wine Writing Contest 2022 edition which you can read here. It includes a far reaching range of regenerative stories including Burning Man artist Valerie Mallory, Champagne’s Vincent Charlot, Italy’s Antonella Manuli, and Oregon’s Troon.  

Last year I wrote one of 136 essays on the subject of old vines entered in Jancis Robinson’s annual wine writing competition. About half were selected for publication, and  I made the cut in 2021 when my article about old vines was selected to be published at Jancis Robinson. That article “Meet Magdalena” features the organic Zinstar vineyard at Lucas in Lodi. 

This year’s competition is inspired by the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation, and we were tasked with writing “An account of regeneration in the wine world, whether of a vineyard, a soil, a winery, a person, a family, a community, a business – anything in the world of wine involving genuine renewal.” Continue reading →