People
Abby Watt and Sonoma's First Regenerative Organic Certified Winery
September 28, 2023
After Abby Watt graduated with a degree in viticulture and enology from Lincoln University in Canterbury, New Zealand in 2010, she spent the next 10 years working harvests across the world, in California, Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand, and has become a passionate advocate for Medlock Ames’ estate vineyard, Bell Mountain Ranch.
But Watt, like other world travelers who find a place they truly connect with, became that pocket of earth’s most passionate advocate—changing the “seen it, been there, done that” attitude for good.
In 2020 when she returned to Alexander Valley and Sonoma from her harvest work in Europe and New Zealand, she says she recognized instantly that it was “a very special place.”
“You’ve got this Mediterranean climate, and you’re right next to the ocean,” Watt points out. “There’s such a tight knit community here with farming and agriculture. I just fell in love with it here. The California wine industry is also really young compared to the rest of the world, so there’s more opportunity to do something different, something good for the planet.”
When she met the team at Medlock Ames and started “five days before we first harvested grapes for 2020,” her determination to stay for the sheer beauty of the region and its potential to make great wine—and also because of the philosophy behind the winery itself—was amplified.
“I love that we are making estate wines from Bell Mountain Ranch,” Watt says, alluding to the 338-acre ranch, 44 of which is planted to vines. “I am able to walk the vines every day. I work with the vineyard workers. We have 100 different estate blocks in the vineyard, and we pick each one when it’s ready, ferment it how we want, and that gives us endless options.”
The vines were organically grown from Day 1, and Medlock Ames continues full steam ahead with their progressive farming ethos. In April of 2023, the winery was officially certified Regenerative by the Regenerative Organic Alliance, the first in Sonoma—and one of the first in the world—to earn that certification. The winery has reduced greenhouse gas emissions, boosted farm health, and emphasizes worker rights (Read more about Medlock Ames’ organic and regenerative-farming paradigm).
Constant Evolution
Watt has carried that spirit into the cellar. Her first major tweak was on the winery’s Chardonnay program.
“We realized that no one at the winery was really drinking it in their free time,” Watt says. “And we wanted to make something that we all love drinking. We brought the alcohol down quite a bit so it’s fresh and smooth, and fun to drink. We brought in different barrels. And we started experimenting quite a bit with native yeast.”
In fact, the Lower Slope Chardonnay has been such a hit that it’s currently sold out (as of September 28, 2023)—and we can’t wait for the next iteration.
This year, if all goes well—and so far, so good, Watt says—she hopes to use 100% native yeast across their entire portfolio of wines.
“Native yeast can be a little scary,” she admits. “The risk is a lot less if you add commercial yeast, and there’s nothing wrong with commercial yeast. They have their place. But when I get great fruit that we have so much control over and comes in pristine, then why wouldn’t I do it native?”
This is one of the many places where a winemaker’s vision comes to life. Using the great fruits she does, Watt allows native yeast to do its thing (spontaneous fermentation), and in doing so the wine is then allowed to determine its character.
Watt explains that native yeasts allow “the fruit to do its thing.”
“Because we have such control over everything that’s done here, the fruit I get here every year is pristine,” she says. “Why wouldn’t you want to do it native and make the best, purest wine?”
People First in a 'Magical Paradise'
Everyone at Medlock Ames wants everyone who touches the fruit to be happy, and ensuring that workers are treated fairly is an essential component of the Regenerative certification, Watt explains.
“They’re the ones out there in the hot weather and the rain,” she points out. “They’re sweating every day for a bottle of wine. We live in such an expensive area, so paying them a living wage and respecting their knowledge is really important to me, and it feels good to be part of a team like this.”
Some of the team in the vineyard, Watt adds, have been with them for more than 22 years.
“They’re a huge part of what we do,” Watt says. “We’re very fortunate to have passionate workers with so much knowledge who come here every day, and come back every year.”
Being happy to arrive at work, Watt says, is easy in “this magical little paradise.”
“Nobody really knows what it’s like here on the estate, tucked away in a little corner,” she says. “Every day’s a little bit different. We might see owls, foxes or wild pigs. The sun shines. You can just walk outside and feel good.”
The care Watt and her team takes to preserve the unique profile of Bell Mountain in the vineyard and the cellar, comes through in the glass.
“Everything starts with the soil,” Watt says. “If you’re patient, farm organically, and invest in your people, the quality comes through in the wine.”
Taste all of the goodness for yourself here.
A preview of their wines:
Medlock Ames Secret Ingredient Malbec, 2019: The 2019 Secret Ingredient Malbec has a nose filled with Christmas spice and floral perfume. The intense palate bursts with flavors of dark roasted coffee, violets, black plum and pastry crust. The mouthfeel is vibrant and lush with a rich tannin structure that peaks and then softly resolves on the finish.
Medlock Ames Fifty Tons Cabernet Sauvignon, 2019: A boldly spiced wine with raspberry custard and pie crust aromas. Dark dense berry fruits, black currant, plum, and cocoa powder fill the palate. This is a pure expression of Cabernet Sauvignon with dry smooth tannins that extend all over the mouthfeel. A youthful fruity Cabernet with long aging potential.
