This Regenerative Vineyard is Redefining Terroir

#12 – Michael Frey is the co-founder of DIRT Wine and second-generation steward of Mariah Vineyards, producer of the world's first Land to Market Verified wines. Located on a remote ridge 2,400 feet above sea level in Mendocino County, California, Michael and his wife Nicole have transformed her family’s vineyard into a thriving model of regenerative viticulture—farming without irrigation or synthetic chemicals, integrating livestock via Holistic Management, and using real ecological monitoring to drive land management decisions.   In this episode, we explore: – how Michael and Nicole convinced the older generation to embrace a new regenerative path – the specific vineyard practices they’ve adopted—from diverse cover crops and contract grazing to sap analysis and pollinator trials – the disconnect between terroir and soil health in mainstream wine culture – and why transparency, not just flavor, might be the most radical thing you can put on a wine label.   We also dig into the challenges of regenerative farming in a dry-farmed vineyard at elevation, the aesthetic tensions between “clean” and “complex” landscapes, and how Michael is thinking about measuring nutrient density and flavor outcomes at a deeper level.   +++   ALL EPISODES: 👉 https://savory.global/podcast JOIN THE COMMUNITY + GET MEMBERS-ONLY PERKS: 👉 https://savory.global/member GET INVOLVED WITH SAVORY INSTITUTE: 👉 https://savory.global/find-your-path   +++   00:00 Intro 01:56 Welcome Michael Frey 03:06 Regenerative viticulture 07:41 Michael & Nicole's journey to regenerative 22:29 1st steps of their transition 36:37 Trade-offs & considerations of regenerative viticulture 43:59 The importance of data 45:30 Terroir 47:16 Conventional vs. Regenerative viticulture 52:15 Transparency (or lack thereof) for additives 55:10 Introducing DIRT Wine 59:54 The Future of Regenerative Viticulture 01:06:59 Advice for consumers & wine growers 01:12:24 Favorite failures 01:17:25 Looking ahead 01:26:50 Closing thoughts   +++   MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE: – https://www.dirt-wine.com/ – https://mariahvineyards.com/ – https://savory.global/eov/ – https://savory.global/land-to-market/ – https://sonomawinegrape.org/paul-dolans-deep-sonoma-county-roots/ – https://www.stephanvanvliet.com/ – https://www.bionutrient.org/   +++   This episode is brought to you by Savory’s Regenerating Members, a global community restoring over 100 million acres through Holistic Management. For less than $1 per day, you can help regenerate 400+ acres every year: 👉 https://savory.global/member   Want to sponsor an episode? 👉 https://savory.global/podcast   +++   FIND US ON SOCIAL: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savoryinstitute LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/savory-institute/   +++   HAVE A GUEST SUGGESTION? We’d love to hear your thoughts: 👉 https://www.tfaforms.com/5169997   +++   Music written & performed by https://www.youtube.com/@travismcnamara9313