Book Review of Serving the Wealthy, Sections on the Role of the Butler and the Principal’s Wines

by Gretchen dePillis

Here is a useful list of organic and biodynamic wines produced in the United States:

• Frey Vineyards in Mendocino, California was the first winery to produce officially verified biodynamic wines, in accordance with California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). As discussed before, organic wines are sulfite-free;
• Robert Sinskey Vineyards (RSV), one of the largest and most progressive certified organic farms in Napa Valley, California;
• Benziger Family Winery in Sonoma, California is another one of the few Demeter-certified vineyards in the United States (888-490-2739.)
• At Ceago the former president of Fetzer Vineyards, Jim Fetzer, grows quality grapes using biodynamic and organic methods and boasts one of the largest biodynamic farms. Among the Ceago Estates, Kathleen’s Vineyard in the Redwood Valley, has been certified biodynamic by Demeter since 1996.
  • An interesting note: Fetzer planted Sauvignon Blanc grapes and named the vineyard “Kathleens vineyard,” after his mother. He eliminated fencing, avoided mechanical irrigation, did not till the soil, avoided pesticides and herbicides. Kathleen’s Vineyard bottles under the Saracina label in 2001. See the book for more information or the PDF download.
• DeLoach
• Kathryn Kennedy
• Eisele Vineyard

Ms. dePillis is a freelance contributor to the Journal who is based on the West Coast of the United States. She can be reached via depillis @ gmail.com

The Institute is dedicated to raising service standards by broadly disseminating the mindset and superior service expertise of that time-honored, quintessential service provider, the British Butler, updated with modern people skills, and adapted to the needs of modern employers and guests in staffed homes, luxury hotels, resorts, spas, retirement communities, jets, yachts & cruise ships around the world.”