A pioneer of natural and biodynamic winegrowing in California has actually selected his successor, preserving a household dynamic amid growing corporatization within the red wine industry.Phil Coturri called his previous protege Mayacamas Olds the chief operating officer of his company Enterprise Vineyards, which farms 600 acres of vines in Napa and Sonoma counties for wineries including Kamen Estate Vineyards, Oakville Ranch and Stone Edge Farm. Coturri does not prepare to retire anytime soon, he said, however Olds will enable him to pull back on the day-to-day administrative duties. Coturri’s choice to develop a succession plan before his retirement is unusual in Red wine Country, where more and more successful red wine organizations are offering to large conglomerates– most just recently, Napa’s 50-year-old Shafer Vineyards, sold to South Korean corporation Shinsegae Residential or commercial property for$ 250 million. Coturri wasn’t thinking about selling Business Vineyards to the highest bidder. It produces a homogenization of red wine varieties and styles, he stated, and might have dire environmental repercussions if business do not focus on watersheds and other aspects as the climate modifications.” If the controlling interest is altering constantly, it becomes more of a commodity,” said Coturri. “Then there is nobody with the enthusiasm necessary to be accountable for their actions.” By working with Olds now, Coturri is making sure that his vision for Business will remain in place for future generations. When Coturri founded Business in 1979, few vineyards in the Bay Location were farmed organically. Making use of herbicides was basic
; the toxicity of these chemicals, like RoundUp, which has been shown to be a carcinogen, was not yet typical understanding. Coturri revolutionzed the industry’s now extensive adoption of natural and biodynamic practices for top quality wines. Today, he’s considered the go-to organic farming specialist for White wine Country’s leading estates. Olds dealt with Coturri at Enterprise as a viticulturist in between 2006 and 2011. Recently, a casual lunch to catch up with her previous employer led
to a job offer that she could not decline.” It just magically happened,” said Olds, who will also manage Corturri’s Sonoma Valley winery, Winery Sixteen 600, which focuses on Rhone grape ranges like Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.” We’re fully, 100 %aligned on the philosophy of farming and growing high quality grapes among organics, on maintaining variety in addition to how we feel about looking after his
team and his people,” she said. Most just recently, Olds was the general supervisor of Sonoma champagne house Gloria Ferrer Red wines, where she initiated the switch away from utilizing herbicides in the vineyard; the winery is now on its way to being licensed organic. However she missed working with high-end red white wines, like Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, she said. Most importantly, the relocation allows her to refocus on her family’s service, Sky Vineyards, which Enterprise helps farm. Sky is a remote, fully off-the-grid estate on the border of Napa and Sonoma counties in the Mayacamas mountain range. Coturri insists on keeping his organization in the household, calling wine a” multigenerational experience.” His grandfathers worked as barrel coopers and in the 1960s, his daddy planted vines and made wine in Sonoma
Valley. Both of Coturri’s children are heavily involved in his companies today: Sam Coturri is the technical director of Winery Sixteen 600 and Max Coturri is the head of construction for Enterprise. So, it may seem counterintuitive that Coturri hasn’t promoted either of his boys to the top management role, however when it came time for succession preparation, he felt that Olds was best fit to function as the glue
between Enterprises ‘personnel of more than 100 staff members and to maintain the high level of farming the company has built its track record on. Sam Coturri said Olds has his complete support.” She has certifications that neither my brother nor I have, and experience we do not have,” he stated. Besides, Olds is family, argued Phil Cotturi. Long prior to their working relationship, his spouse babysat Olds, and years
later, Olds babysat Coturri’s children. “There’s a heritage that was begun forty-plus years ago and it’s a heritage that I wish to go on for
another 40 years, if not more,” stated Coturri. Jess Lander is a San Francisco Chronicle personnel author. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @jesslander