Resource Overview
Wine writer + expert Elaine Chukan Brown speaks with Chantal Forthun, director of winemaking at Flowers Vineyards & Winery. Elaine and Chantal explore the intricacies of the true Sonoma Coast and the different organic estate vineyard sites at Flowers, and discuss why minimal intervention winemaking is integral to producing wines that express these individual characteristics.
Featured wines:
2017 Flowers Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
2017 Flowers Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast
A California native, Chantal grew up in the garden and surrounded by agriculture, leading her to study Biology and Botany at California State University Chico. It was by chance she found herself working the 2005 harvest in Lodi, followed by an opportunity at Bonny Doon Vineyard which ignited the quest of producing intentional, terroir-driven wines using natural winemaking and sustainable farming. Before joining Flowers, Chantal gained experience in biodynamic farming with Quartz Reef in New Zealand and Rhys Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Since 2012, Chantal has led the winemaking team at Flowers Vineyards & Winery, crafting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from estate vineyards on the true Sonoma Coast that capture the purity and spirit of the rugged, coastal terroir.
Learn more about California Wines, including information about California's diverse wine making regions here: https://discovercaliforniawines.com/
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