Farming

In Tune with the Cosmos

From the very beginning, Cayuse Vineyards has been farmed organically—without synthetic fertilizers, chemicals, insecticides or fungicides. “Mistreating the earth kills the terroir, and you end up with soils that are sick or dead,” Christophe believes. “It’s a foundation you have to protect.”

In 2002 Cayuse became the first domaine in the Walla Walla Valley to fully implement biodynamic farming—a chemical-free approach designed to produce healthier soil and food. Based on the research of Dr. Rudolph Steiner in the 1920s, the philosophy focuses on the interrelationship of earth, plants and animals as a closed, self-nourishing ecosystem. Followers use an astronomical sowing and planting calendar.

"I noticed many of the best French producers had been switching from conventional farming to biodynamics over the last decade, and I became convinced it was a necessary step for us to take,” Christophe says.

Closing the Circle

Visitors to Cayuse see far more than just vineyards. They find chickens, pigs, sheep and cows, apple and cherry trees, tomato and cucumber vines and rows of corn. “It closes the biodynamic circle by integrating animals into the farm, and shows respect for the old ways,” Christophe says.