La Clarine Farm

La Clarine Farm is a natural winery in the Sierra Foothills of California, founded by Hank Beckmeyer and Caroline Hoel. They are considered pioneers of the natural wine movement in the U.S., with a philosophy that began with Biodynamicprinciples and evolved into what Hank calls "do-nothing farming," inspired by the Japanese farmer-philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka.

Technical Philosophy and Practices:

• Vineyard Farming: They farm their small home vineyard with a "do-nothing" approach, which means they do not use pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. The vineyard is intentionally not tilled, and vines are left to grow in a more wild, natural state. They also source grapes from like-minded, organic growers in the Sierra Foothills.

• Winemaking Protocols: Their winemaking is an extension of their farming, with a focus on allowing the grapes to express their own character.

  • Native Yeast Fermentation: All wines are fermented with native yeasts, without temperature control, and at their own pace, which can sometimes take months.

  • Minimal Intervention: They add nothing to the wines—no yeast, no enzymes, no acid, and no sugar. The only addition is a minimal amount of sulfur dioxide (SO2) just before bottling.

  • Unfined and Unfiltered: The wines are not fined or filtered, which preserves their natural flavors and textures, often resulting in a cloudy appearance.

  • Whole-Cluster & Foot-Stomping: They often ferment their red wines with a high percentage of whole clusters and use foot-stomping for a gentle maceration. This is a very traditional approach that adds a distinct character to their wines.

  • Vessels: They use neutral vessels, primarily old oak puncheons and flex tanks, to avoid imparting new oak flavors.