Food & Drink: Martella's art of winemaking begins with honoring the land Food & Drink: Martella's art of winemaking begins with honoring the land (September 07, 2005)

By Renee Batti

Almanac News Editor

In winemaking, balance is key.

Michael Martella of Woodside strives for balance both in the wines he creates and on the land that produces the grapes that end up in the bottle.

The founding winemaker and viticulturist at Thomas Fogarty Winery in Woodside for the last 20 years, Mr. Martella also bottles wine under the Martella label.

"I started the Martella wine brand to express entirely my own tastes and vision in the art of winemaking," he states on his Web site, michaelmartella.com. "My primary goal is creating a wine with elegant balance and delicious taste."

Mr. Martella buys his grapes from various vineyards, including one near Fiddletown in Amador County that is owned by his brother, Richard.

He says that in choosing grapes for his wines, he uses the principles of "biodynamics," which he describes in part as "a philosophy and consciousness of doing things where everything is sustainable." That means using agricultural practices that respect and don't deplete the land, and looking at the environment that supports the land as a whole system that must be kept in balance, he says.

In the Martella winery summer newsletter, he writes that "biodynamics also contains an element of spirituality because it implies a personal relationship between farmers and their land and crops. ... I buy grapes from good people. Growers who enjoy and honor what they do for a living are going to produce good fruit."

His current wines include a 2003 viognier, two 2002 syrahs from different vineyards, a 2003 zinfandel from Fiddletown, and a 2003 Fiddletown grenache.

His wife, artist Beverly Iverson, designs many of the wines' vibrant labels.

Martella and Fogarty wines have a place on the shelves at Vino Locale, which carries only Santa Cruz Mountain wines. Martella wines can also be found at Roberts market and Beltramo's wine store, and can be found on the menus of the Flea St. Cafe, Buck's, Bentley's and Alice's Restaurant.

A member of the Rhone Rangers, an educational nonprofit group of California Rhone-style wine producers, he poured three of his wines at a recent Slow Food/Rhone Ranger event at Vino Locale.

He says he's a proponent of the Slow Food movement, and applauds Vino Locale's owners for "supporting local wine, local food and local community."

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