“This is one reason why family wineries are so important. My father is 82, and he’s supporting, in all the ways, the planting of vineyards that he will not see the full potential of. This multi-generational commitment to viticulture, this multi-generational commitment to caring for the land—that’s why families are so important.” – Jasmine Hirsch

The Hirsch family are farmers, though it took decades for David Hirsch to realize after planting his first vines in 1980 that he's not farming grapes—he's farming soil. This epiphany came after a long evolutionary arc in an exceptionally rugged and sparsely populated region in the West Sonoma Coast. What used to be a redwood forest cleared for cultivation by early pioneers became a conventional vineyard and later a biodynamic farm under his stewardship.

In this week's episode, Jasmine Hirsch, the second generation farmer of Hirsch Vineyards and first-generation winemaker, joins Jamie Schwartz for a discussion over a glass of Hirsch Vineyards 'Bohan-Dillon' Pinot Noir. The longtime friends discuss her family's farming philosophy rooted in spirituality, the physical and mental impact of the region's dramatic terroir, and how she embraces the ephemeral nature of wine through the Japanese principle of mono no aware.

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Skurnik Wines & Spirits

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