Transparency: the missing ingredient in wine.

No empty marketing claims.
No fancy wine talk. No nonsense.

We track our progress and work every day to improve everything we do. This page isn’t about perfection—it’s about sharing the journey and showing real progress.

MARIAH VINEYARDS

GOOD WINE IS MADE WITH HEALTHY SOIL.

Free from Chemicals and Pesticides

Perched above the fog line in the rugged Mendocino Ridge, Mariah Vineyards is a place where coastal wind, old vines, and wild beauty shape every cluster. Built from scratch by Dan and Vicki—Nicole’s parents—the vineyard is now farmed with our involvement, our playground to push the boundaries of viticulture while carrying their legacy forward for the family with care and conviction.

Read Now - Interview with Dan & Vicki

Coming Soon - Napa RCD Dry Farming Study

Coming Soon - UC Berkeley Dry Farming Study

Transparency isn’t just a label
—it’s a promise.

Every farming practice, winemaking choice, and step along the journey from soil to glass is mindful and intentional, so you can trust exactly what’s in your glass.

NATURE-POSITIVE FARMING

ECOLOGICAL OUTCOMES

We don’t just farm—we measure. Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) lets us track the real impact of our practices on soil health, biodiversity, and the surrounding ecosystem. It’s our way of proving that good intentions translate into measurable results, so you can trust that every bottle reflects a healthier, more resilient vineyard.

EOV Guidelines

Land to Market Savory Institute

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EOV Certification

Savory Institute

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LOW INTERVENTION WINEMAKING

Clean & Pure

We believe good wine is made in the cellar, but great wine starts in the vineyard. That’s why we place a strong emphasis on growing the most expressive, clean, and nature-positive fruit possible, intervening as little as we can in the cellar so the vineyard’s character shines through every bottle.

2023 Pinot Noir Lab Testing Results

AGQ Labs

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2023 Sauvignon Blanc Lab Testing Results

AGQ Labs

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2023 DIRT Wine Nutrition Report

ETS Laboratories

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2024 Chardonnay Lab Testing Results

AGQ Labs

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Our People

At DIRT Wine, transparency starts with the people behind the bottle. Together, we share one commitment: to make wine with integrity, tell the whole story, and ensure that what you see—and what you drink—is real.

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Co-Founders & Farmers

Nicole & Michael

Nicole and Michael built DIRT Wine as a husband-and-wife team to bring radical transparency and regenerative integrity back to the wine industry. When they're not building DIRT, they're building soil at Mariah Vineyards alongside their parents and young son, Myles.

Winemaker

Joanna Castorani

With an intuitive feel for vineyard expression and quiet precision in the cellar, winemaker Joanna Castorani turns DIRT’s farming values into wines with soul. Learn more about her winemaking philosophy on her website.

Videographer

Trip Dugas

Trip crafts the visual lens for DIRT Wine, transforming soil-to-glass stories into imagery that resonates, educates, and inspires. See his portfolio on his website.

Contributor

Meg Chatham

Meg weaves the threads of farming, ecology, and integrity into the stories that shape DIRT’s commitment to regenerative change. When she's not adventuring or traveling in search of great wine, she's writing here on Substack.

DIRT IN NUMBERS

01.

By relying solely on natural precipitation and using no irrigation, we conserve valuable water resources. This method encourages deeply rooted vines, producing high-quality grapes and a true expression of terroir.
02.

Fermentation is simple when the farming is honest. Grapes contain natural sugars, yeast converts them to alcohol, and we let that process finish completely. No added sugar. No shortcuts.
03.

Dedicated to expanding regenerative agriculture, 1% of DIRT wine sales goes toZero Foodprint’s Initiative to Restore California, helping fund farmers to adopt regenerative agricultural practices that build healthy soils, climate resilience, and thriving farms.
04.

Our wines are made with the power of nature, not additives. They contain just two ingredients: organically grown grapes and minimal sulfites. That’s it.
05.

With 6–12% organic matter across our vineyard, our soils store more water, support deeper roots, and grow more expressive grapes naturally. It's a sign of regeneration in action: carbon-rich soil, thriving microbial life, and vines that don’t need chemical crutches.
06.

We maintain 10 test sites across our vineyards to measure ecological outcomes every year, verified by the Savory Institute Global Land to Market. These sites track soil health, biodiversity, and land function, so regeneration is measured, not assumed.
07.

Every bottle of DIRT Wine is 100% traceable, from the soil it’s grown in to the glass you drink it from. We believe transparency builds trust and accountability starts with knowing exactly where your wine comes from.
08.

Each DIRT Wine is tested for 576 chemical residues, including glyphosate. We do this to verify what’s not in your glass and to back up our commitment to clean, honest wine with data.

At DIRT Wine, we believe you should
know exactly what’s in your glass.

That’s why we share every detail — from vineyard soil to glass — with full transparency.