Hiyu Wine Farm (Nate Ready & China Tresemer)

Hiyu Wine Farm is a highly unique and biodiverse project in Hood River, Oregon, founded by Master Sommelier Nate Ready and his partner China Tresemer. Their philosophy is deeply rooted in permaculture and Biodynamic farming, but goes beyond traditional certification. Ready has famously said they are on the "wild side of permaculture," focusing on creating a thriving, self-sustaining ecosystem.

• Farming: Their 30-acre farm, of which 14 acres are vineyards, is a complex ecosystem where animals like cows, pigs, chickens, and geese roam freely, providing natural fertilization and weed control. They cultivate over 100 different grape varieties, often in mixed "field blends" that are co-planted and co-fermented. They practice no-till viticulture and use far fewer sprays than even a typical organic or Biodynamic vineyard.

• Winemaking Protocols: Their winemaking is an extension of their holistic farming philosophy.

  • Spontaneous Fermentation: All wines are fermented with native yeasts, with no temperature control.

  • Minimal Intervention: They add nothing to the wines—no yeast, no enzymes, no acid, and no sugar. For many of their wines, they use no added sulfur at all, or a very small amount at bottling.

  • Unfined and Unfiltered: The wines are not fined or filtered, preserving their natural texture and character.

  • Whole Cluster and Foot-Treading: Ready's technical approach includes the use of whole cluster fermentation and foot-treading to gently break up the grapes. They rely on an old-school basket press.

  • Vessels: Wines are aged in a variety of neutral vessels, primarily old oak barrels of different sizes. They also experiment with a solera system for some of their wines.