40 Years of Growing Grapes and Making Wine with Tom Farella

"Rooted in the Coombsville AVA, this family vineyard and winery began when Frank Farella bought a 56-acre site in 1977 that many didn’t consider grape-growing friendly; vines—Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay—went in, the first wines followed in 1985, and, as Tom Farella puts it, “It was always about preserving the place.” Today it’s planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc; about 80% of the fruit goes to more than a dozen revered Napa wineries, with the rest becoming roughly 2,000 cases under the Farella label. Tom’s winemaking chases age-worthy balance—acidity, tannin and fruit—eschewing the early-2000s temptation to let fruit “hang,” always asking, “What defines ripeness?” Farming follows a minimum-inputs, maximum-outputs approach akin to lutte raisonée: modern tools are used judiciously (even a little Roundup from an ATV at the right time) to reduce passes, compaction and pollution, while he argues that strict organic or biodynamic regimens can unintentionally increase inputs. After 40 years in Coombsville, he believes “less is more”: winemaking is stewardship of terroir, an almost anthropomorphic relationship with the vines, and in his self-contained, backyard-like operation, that simplicity is the ideal." - Erin Brooks