Taking Care of the Land Where Our Vines Grow Now

It is important to Tolosa that we source from vineyards that honor a sustainable approach to farming to nurture the land and ecosystems where the vines grow. Tolosa’s estate vineyard, Edna Ranch in San Luis Obispo, demonstrates our commitment to sustainability with its SIP: Sustainability in Practice. The SIP certification addresses the 3 P’s of Sustainability – People, Planet, Prosperity – ensuring that both natural and human resources are protected.

Tolosa’s farming program aims to limit the use of tractors, implement natural rodent control, release beneficial insects, plant soil replenishing cover crops, and use drip irrigation to conserve water.

Post-harvest season, we plant a cover crop of grasses in-between vineyard rows to help with erosion and maintain the soil’s chemical makeup. The grasses used as cover crop are low-maintenance greenery and thrive in the winter months. They protect the soil from shifting during rain or windstorms and replenish the soil with nutrients.

On a semi-annual basis, Tolosa releases beneficial insects into the vineyard. These insects play a role in natural pest control. They feast on insects that can be harmful to the vines, thus reducing the need for chemical pest control. These bugs include ladybugs, mealybug destroyers, and parasitic wasps, among others.

We have owl boxes scattered around the estate vineyard serving as homes for natural predators such as owls and hawks. These predators are a sustainable rodent control method in the vineyards and superior to conventional methods such as trapping and poisons.