KNOW YOUR VINTNER:

AN INTERVIEW WITH
CLAUDE DELFOSSE

As you wend your way down a gravel road, past cows and lambs and rolling hills in Nelson County, you can’t help but be struck by the stunning beauty that surrounds DelFosse Vineyards and Winery. The bucolic scenery is not lost on owner Claude DelFosse, who along with his wife, Genevieve, has worked to make a visit to the winery as much (or almost as much) about the setting as it is about their award-winning wines. This focus on the outdoors is part of his push for sustainability for the winery—more efficient, less waste, and more in touch with the earth, thanks in part to walking trails, picnic areas, and a stream and lake. We talked with him recently to find out more about his breathtaking little corner of the world.

Edible Blue Ridge: What motivated you to open a winery?

Claude DelFosse: I’m originally from France. [Editor’s note: Read remainder of interview with a wonderful French accent.] I guess I drank a fair amount of wine, and making it was something interesting to do. It’s a creative process— a little art, a little science. I used to be in the informationtechnology software business in Northern Virginia but retired at the end of 2004. I didn’t want to just sit around and play golf, so I decided to make wine.

EBR: Where do your grapes come from?

DelFosse: Primarily from our own vineyard, which has 20 acres of mature grapes. I have chardonnay, viognier, sauvignon blanc, petite manseng, pinot gris, malbec, petit verdot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and merlot. Last year we did 84 percent from our vineyard, and this year I’m not planning to buy any other grapes.

EBR: Tell us about your blends.

DelFosse: I have one for each of my three children: Reserve d’Oriane is named after my daughter and is a blend of four different grapes—our attempt to do a version of Conundrum [created by Caymus Vineyards in Napa]. It’s based on chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, petit manseng, and viognier. The Cuvee Laurent is named for one of my sons and has chambourcin, cabernet franc, and merlot. And the Grand Cru Olivier is for my other son, and includes petit verdot, cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot.

EBR: Your terraced vineyards are so beautiful—why grow grapes that way?

DelFosse: It’s associated with the contour of the land. We have very big slopes, so there was no other way in some places. But the slope provides several benefits. Water flow— the water doesn’t stagnate. Grapes do not like wet feet at all. The same thing goes with the air: The cold air rolls down the hill, so it doesn’t stick around, improving airflow. And since the grapes are staggered, they all have nice exposure to the sun. One row doesn’t shadow the other.

EBR: Why are hiking trails and other outdoor features important to you?

DelFosse: That’s part of the idea of creating a destination— it makes it a fun place to visit. The scenery is beautiful, so the trails add to the enjoyment of the location.

EBR: What are some of the other earth-friendly measures you’ve incorporated into your land management?

DelFosse: We limit whatever is not sustainable. We have native plants, which require less maintenance and fewer resources. We use as little pesticide as possible. We use organic material in our landscaping and have a compost pile. Plus, the prunings are left on the ground so that they return nitrogen to the soil in the vineyard rows. And we have sheep that graze on the property—they mow the lawn and fertilize for free.

EBR: What about sustainable measures taken for the winemaking process?

DelFosse: We are using lighter bottles and lighter packaging for shipping, which is more sustainable because it requires less fuel. The wine bottles are partially recycled—only partially because our county doesn’t have a recycling program right now. I’m even giving some of my bottles to a guy who wants to crush them and use them to build driveways.

EBR: How do you envision the future of DelFosse Vineyards, sustainably speaking?

DelFosse: We’re constantly looking at what we’re doing and trying to do it better. I did a carbon footprint of the winery, which basically helps figure out how much CO2 you put out. It told us our winery is CO2 neutral, thanks in large part to our forest. We view sustainability as financially feasible and socially acceptable, so based on finances, we’ll continue to improve our practices. We also want to do dinners featuring local foods, to showcase other local products and the talented chefs from our area.