“I call myself a custodian of pleasure!” exclaims Tony Coturri, a third generation winemaker in Northern California's Sonoma County.

Tony, who uses fruit grown by his brother Phil to craft extraordinary organic and biodynamic wines, defines the biodynamic philosophy as “the ritual procedures we take to sharpen our attention in order to access our own intuition.” The Cotturi viticultural philosophy, based on an understanding that vineyard practices are part of a larger environmental dynamic, involve extensive cover crops. While its become something of a cliché these days for winemakers to say they are “letting the wine speak of the Terroir,” Tony has been taking a hands-off approach to winemaking since the time it was considered eccentric, rather than progressive.

 

The core of this tradition lies in a sense of respect for the natural intelligence of nature. Organic fruit is carefully crafted via wild yeasts into lush unadulterated wines allowed to “come alive” naturally in the barrel. It is an arduous process that requires great patience and dedication, since no yeast additives, starters, or other flavor manipulators are ever added. 

Despite their craft, Tony and Phil still face traces of a longstanding stigma in California attached to organic wines. In response, they have had to work extremely hard over the years to stimulate a deeper appreciation of their earthy complexity. 

Tony's Zinfandel, which he calls a “delicate combination of sugar and acidity” has a wide following. Unlike many winemakers who produce high-alcohol Zinfandels in order to satisfy market trends (and then must water them down in order to reduce sugar levels) this sweeter and more vibrant wine has a velvety texture that is a key to its appeal. Without the use of extended barrel aging Tony tries to   bolster the tannins and increase the texture of his wines. To this end he turns not to oak but to the grape skins, which thicken as the fruit ripens. With riper fruit he finds the extra soft tannins that have developed in the skins. These tannins, along with the sweeter grapes themselves, create wines with the combination of sugar, acidity and skin tannin-texture necessary to compliment low-fat foods like raw vegetables. This is what makes them so popular among raw food enthusiasts.

With their dynamic energy and balanced acidity, Cotturi wines also tend to last longer once they are opened. For this reason they are often referred to as good “second day wines” since the last glass often tastes the best.