Before it was Hope Well, the land where Mimi Casteel’s vineyard flourishes today was a Chirstmas tree farm where little grew without industrial farming techniques to ward off unwanted plants and pests.  Today, it is a model of regenerative agriculture where soil health and care for the native ecosystem results in exceptional wine.  Mimi was so excited about her 2019 harvest that they made five pinots this year instead of one.  These wines have slept through 2020 like a bad dream and are now awake and ready to fill the glasses of your family and friends.  Curl up this winter, sip, and share in a special vineyard that is putting carbon back where it can do some good, in the earth.

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How it works:  Regenerative agriculture focuses on revitalizing the soil and natural ecological diversity of a farm by employing methods such as zero tillage, natural composting, and cover crops in lieu of conventional farming techniques like plowing, spraying chemicals, and bare soil.  It increases and nourishes the health of the soil by restoring the carbon-rich organic matter.  This causes deeper roots, healthier microbial activity, better nutrient absorption, improved water retention, and increased pest resistance.  Farms are seeing soil carbon levels rise from 2% up to 9% over ten or more years.  All this while increasing the farm’s productivity.