BLOGS
Organic Vegetable Spring Rolls
We love these organic vegetable spring rolls and hope you will too! Fresh spring rolls should offer a pleasing contrast in texture (soft wrapper, chewy noodles, and crunchy vegetables) and flavors (fresh mint, basil, and cilantro; peanuts, spicy chilies, and salty sauce) which will pair perfectly with a cold glass of our Organic Pinot Grigio. Try to source organic ingredients for the health of farmworkers, your own health, and for future generations.
World Wildlife Day
In honor of World Wildlife Day, we thought it would be appropriate to share more about the Frey Nature Reserve. As a practice of learning about the wildlife that also calls this land home, we have set up critter cams to help us see who is here, how they behave, and where they are drawn to. We then like to make videos (both short and long form) to share with you so that you can also see our neighbors!
Rethink Your Drink
If you haven’t been buying organics for one reason or another, it may be time to rethink your drink. Besides the overwhelming evidence to suggest that organic agriculture is better for the planet and produces a higher quality product (specifically one that tests cleaner for pesticide, insecticide, and fungicide residues), we think you should rethink your drink for the following compelling reasons.
No Sugar Added
All our wines are made with no sugar added during the fermentation process. Rest assured that the only ingredients that go into Frey wines are the grapes themselves! Because we are committed to making all of our wines “no sugar added” wines, we rely on the sweetness of grape juice alone to sustain fermentation into wine.
Fizzy Chard
We wanted to create a delightful and zippy cheerfulness for the palate – hence Fizzy Chard was born. This bubbly concoction is our first dive into effervescence, and we hope you’ll enjoy tickling your taste buds with this California bubbly as much as we do. Millions of bubbles are bottled up and ready for you to open!
American Wine Region of the Year
Wine Enthusiast has awarded Mendocino County the American Wine Region of the Year for 2024! Yay!!! As a long time Mendocino County winery, we are delighted by this honor. As pioneers in the Organic Wine movement, we’re proud to be located in Mendocino County, California’s Greenest AVA (American Viticultural Area). Thanks to Wine Enthusiast for seeing us and bestowing this accolade on Mendocino County!
Late Harvest Zin
Once in a blue moon, the conditions are just right at harvest to plan for a Late Harvest Zinfandel. This means that grapes can hang on the vine long enough for their sugars to rise to optimal Brix and the dream of a heavenly dessert wine begins fermenting. But an early frost or a torrential rain can ruin even the best-laid plans by compromising the tender fruit. The 2022 harvest was one of those lucky years, and we were able to bring a delectable dessert wine to fruition! It’s been 15 years since we had a Late Harvest Zin vintage, and the time-lapse makes this new release all the more special.
Orange Beard
Frey Vineyards is releasing our first orange wine this Fall, and we’re calling it “Orange Beard” to celebrate the orange that several Frey men have in their beards. For those of you who aren’t familiar with orange wines, they are a unique “skin-contact” wine that involves leaving the grape skins on the white wine grapes (for a time) during the winemaking process. Red wine is made with the skins on, white wine is made with the skins off, and orange wine is made with white wine grapes with the skins left on to produce a gorgeous orange color.
Organic Winemaking
You can trust that every bottle of Frey wine embodies the pinnacle of organic winemaking. As the first certified Organic winery in the USA, we have pioneered the organic standard in the United States. When we became bonded as a winery in 1980, there wasn’t a nationwide certification for organic wine. We helped start the Organic Wine movement over forty years ago, and we continue to bring you the highest quality wines available today. Not only do we make our wine with organic grapes, but we also make our wines organically, too. All organic, all the way: at every step Frey wines embody the strictest, gold standard of organics.
Biodynamic Winemaking
To be certified Biodynamic, a wine must be made with Biodynamic grapes and processed with Biodynamic winemaking practices. The Biodynamic grapes are grown near where they are produced to optimize the holistic land connection and offer a true terroir to the finished wine. Frey Vineyards is the first certified Biodynamic Winery in the USA! Cheers to Biodynamic wine!
Biodynamic Vineyard
As Biodynamic pioneers, all of the grapes at the Frey Vineyards home ranch are grown on a biodynamic vineyard. Visiting the Frey home property in Redwood Valley, California, you’ll find a deep devotion to Biodynamic agriculture! Frey Vineyards is the first Biodynamic certified winery in the country! We maintain all of our local vineyards biodynamically. This year, we join the worldwide Biodynamic movement in celebrating the 100th anniversary of Biodynamic Agriculture.
Wines that are Sulfite Free
Many of you have found Frey because you were looking for wines that are sulfite free. Some of you are allergic to sulfites, making Frey wine one of the only wines you can enjoy. Some of you are committed to organic winemaking and want an organic wine that is organically produced from the grapes to the glass. Whatever brought you here, we are committed to bringing you the best, no-sulfites-added wines on the market.
Is Wine Healthy?
Is wine healthy for you? Scientists have been debating whether drinking wine in moderation is a healthy practice for many, many years. There is a wealth of scientific evidence to suggest that drinking responsibly has some substantial health benefits. Let's look at why Frey is a clean drink and what the scientific community has to say about the benefits of wine.
Wine Ingredients
Wine is often assumed to be a natural beverage made with just grapes. Sadly, grapes are one of the most heavily sprayed fruits on the market. Conventionally grown grapes come with a litany of chemicals attached to them. In addition, there are over 60 ingredients that may commonly be added during fermentation, cellaring, and bottling. At Frey, all of our wines are made 100% organic from the grape to the glass, so we wanted to share about the differences in our wine ingredients versus other wine ingredients.
Biodynamic Wine
This year we’re honoring 100 years in Biodynamic Agriculture with the international Biodynamic community. In 1996, Frey Vineyards became the first Biodynamic winery in the United States to achieve Demeter certification. Our estate-grown Biodynamic wine is fermented with the wild yeasts found on the grapes themselves.
Organic Vineyard
It all starts with the soil! So much care and attention is given to nursing and feeding the soil, so that the organic grapes are raised organically from the beginning to the end. Every grape that goes into Frey wine is grown on an organic vine, in a vineyard that respects and utilizes organic practices like composting and cover cropping.
Organic Wine
At Frey, we pride ourselves on being pioneers in organic wine. When we started the first organic winery back in 1980, organic was not a popular category like it is today. In fact, we faced an incredible amount of work in educating, informing, and spreading information about the organic cause. Over 40 years later, we’re proud to lead the charge for organic wine in the United States. For the Earth, from the Earth: Frey Vineyards!
Natural Wine
Are you wondering what qualifies as a “natural wine” these days? Frey Vineyards is committed to creating the purest wine you can drink. Here's our run-down of what "natural" means versus "organic" wine so that you can understand and make informed choices about what you're drinking.
Sustainable for the Environment
While some folks claim sustainability, we live sustainably. Here’s a few of the ecologically forward practices that distinguish Frey Vineyards as a leader being truly sustainable for the environment.
Critter Cams
To get a better understanding of the wild creatures living in our forestlands, we set up critter cams starting around 2015. To our surprise, a whole assortment of wildlife came into view for the first time, creatures large and small who otherwise are rarely seen. The cams were placed at strategic locations near water streams, trails, and special large trees that seemed to have a magnetic draw to the animals.