The DelBondio family’s history is intertwined with that of Napa Wine Company. Jim DelBondio has worked with the Pelissa family, owners of Napa Wine Company, since he was a kid. His father, Andrew DelBondio, was the family’s first vineyard manager and trusted friend. Jim has been our vineyard manager since his father’s death in 1985. He has executed the gradual changes the family has made toward 100% organic farming, and he and the family continue to make positive changes since the organic certification of the vineyards by CCOF in 1990. DelBondio is so convinced that organic farming makes the best sense economically, ethically and in terms of grape quality that he and his brother, Rich Poncia, have had their own vineyards in Rutherford certified organic with tremendous results.

“The changes are subtle,” DelBondio said, “the main things I’ve noticed are the vine strength and the soil quality.” He sees the vines resisting weather spikes such as heat spells and frost better as well as pests, mold and disease. They seem to need less water, which is a combination of vine health and soil quality. “The soils are softer, smoother,” said DelBondio. “Even the tractor drivers notice the change, and they drive up and down every single row.” This change is due to composting—adding grape pomace mixture back to the soil after harvest—and to cover crops, the planting of winter crops such as vetch, oats, bell beans, winter peas and mustard between the vine rows and then plowing it under in the spring.

Across the 635 acres of vineyard the Pelissa family own in Yountville and Oakville and across the 15 different varietals they grow, yields average about 5 tons per acre, a very healthy yield. Any less and the vineyards would not be economically viable; any more and quality might suffer. Growing so many different varietals allows DelBondio to pick grapes at reasonable intervals all through the harvest season rather than in the hectic bursts that growing only two or three varietals would cause. The variety also keeps a long list of grape purchasing customers happy, from Pinot Meunier for sparkling wine producers to Malbec for Bordeaux blend producers. Of course, the Pelissa family itself focuses on Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon, the mainstays of the Napa Wine Company brand.

The Growing Season Report: DelBondio reports that this year’s harvest will be about two weeks early if the warm weather continues as it has been. DelBondio reported, “When I left the vineyards on June 25 I noticed some color in the Pinot Meunier. Now that’s early!” Pinot Meunier will likely be the first grapes harvested, sometime in early August. Only one hailstorm in early June marred the perfection of the harvest, splitting berries in some of the Oakville vineyards. DelBondio says that these lost berries will only reduce the crop 5% at the most. Plants that had not yet had leaves pulled—in other words, vines that still had leafy canopy protecting the grape bunches—came through with flying colors. Still, that is not an argument for not leaf pulling. “Vigor—that is something we do have to watch with organic farming,” said DelBondio