working really hard and leaving nothing to chance

When wine experts describe legendary vineyards, they typically talk about the alchemy of superb soil and a unique climate. But there’s a third, equally critical component: the people who meticulously and skillfully cultivate the grapes, coaxing maximum flavor from each berry. As Victor Hugo put it, “God only made water, but man made wine.”

“We leave nothing to chance but the weather,” says Stu Bewley, and everyone who works at Alder Springs is well versed in his viticultural philosophy. Rather than hiring temporary laborers who migrate from vineyard to vineyard, the common practice among growers, Bewley employs a permanent staff that lives at Alder Springs year round, along with 3 viticulturists. “We want things done in a very, very specific way, and our people get to know our vines and our methods,” says Bewley, who credits a dedicated, knowledgeable and stable workforce with producing the vineyard’s renowned grapes. Unlike most growers, he rewards precise, detail-oriented work, paying his staff not a piece rate, which rewards only speed, but an hourly wage, with bonuses for outstanding performance.

“We want our people to feel invested in these vines, “says Bewley, “and we want them to take great pride in where they work.” To ensure that they do, he arranges an annual tasting of all the wines made from Alder Spirngs grapes in a given year. Everyone from the vineyard manager to the crew that picks the berries is encouraged to sample and comment on the latest vintage, to try to understand why a Viognier made from one vineyard block tastes entirely different from that made from another. “We want our people to see the connection between their efforts and what happens in the actual bottle,” says Bewley. “That there’s something beautiful that comes from all their work, that it’s really important and that they made that happen.”