Craig Camp @ Troon Vineyard
Wine's Regenerative, Gold Standard
Craig Camp is the General Manager at Troon Vineyard. Troon Vineyard is a Certified Biodynamic® and Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC) vineyard and wine brand.
The Brand
Troon Vineyard is located in Southwest Oregon in the Applegate and Rogue Valleys. The region is home to over 100 wineries, surrounded by the Siskiyou Mountains, nestled between the cooler, wet weather of northern Oregon and the drier, warmer weather of Northern California. Troon is one of 13 Demeter Certified Biodynamic® farms in Oregon, and only one of four farms in the world to hold the distinction of being Regenerative Organic Certified® at the gold level. Their wines are distributed in 17 states and three Canadian provinces, as well as online.
50 of their vineyard’s acres are dedicated to 20 or so classic Southern French varieties including Syrah, Vermentino and the classic Rhone varietals that their climate is ideally suited to. They also have 300 cider apple trees, four acres of hay with sheep and chickens, and a 3-acre vegetable and fruit garden.
“I always say our 100 acres are going to change the world. To convince other people to farm the way we're farming, we have to show them it can be done profitably – as we say, where there’s no margin, there's no mission. Our certifications communicate what we're doing and convince consumers that we have something to check out.” – Craig
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Expressions from the Land
The vineyard is named after Dick Troon who first planted vines there in 1972. Because the land had been conventionally farmed up until they acquired the property in 2016, the soils were compacted and the vines diseased. They immediately introduced Biodynamic practices. While many associate Biodynamic farming with manure and cow horns, Craig compares it to a complex probiotic program.
Because of their adherence to these natural cycles, and their commitment to regenerative organic practices, they do not rely on the additives commercial vineyards add to deliver a more consistent product. Some years there may be more blends and in others more individual wines.
“We follow what nature gives us. This kind of farming provides that connection to the plant. We’re trying to mimic natural systems. If you have a natural system in the soil, you'll have a healthier plant that’s more expressive of the climate of that year.” – Craig
"We're at the point now where we have all these new vines, and we need to learn from them. So the direction we go will be based on where they take us. Not necessarily like we've got this blend, I want X number of cases of rose, I want X number of cases of red. We really have to now see what will make the best wine and let them decide the direction that we're going to go. And I honestly believe if we do that, we won't have any trouble finding a market. I think quality does sell and fundamentally if you're distinct and you have very high quality, you'll find your market." - Craig
A Holistic System
From his first exposure to wine while studying abroad in college to becoming a self-taught wine expert and distributor, Craig has always been passionate about wine and its intersection with geography, history, agriculture, and science. What he loves about Biodynamic farming is the ability to push deeper into ancient agricultural practices, to look at the farm as a single organism with everything working together as a system. Craig believes more farmers can relate to regenerative organic and regenerative farming – which also looks at the farm as a whole system, with the soil, plants, animals, and humans all part of it.
“If you came to the farm in 2016, you wouldn’t recognize it. The farm itself is totally transformed. We’ve replanted vines, put in gardens, the hay fields, cider apple trees, and a pollinator habit. The biggest difference is the amount of life here. The air is full of butterflies, there are hawks, owls, and bats. It's just teeming with life. There's an idealism to it all, but also a practicality. We’re bringing in beneficial insects so we don’t need the chemicals. It goes back to that natural system we’re trying to create.” – Craig
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Complex Flavors without the Additives
Craig referred to the old cliche, “Wine is made in the vineyard”. Unlike commercial wineries that pick their grapes, smother them with sulfur to kill everything, and then introduce a single cultivated yeast and additives for sugar and color, Troon is pure and simple, with two ingredients: grapes and a little sulfur for stabilization, fermented with native yeast. They’re also highly transparent, providing a QR code on the back of every bottle linked to a full overview of the wine’s nutritional profile. Moreover, while big commercial wines focus on making the same product every year, Troon strives to be different every year – to reflect the weather, the soil, and the natural system that’s distinct from year to year.
Science however, does come into play. When the grapes come in at harvest, Troon completes profiles using a professional laboratory to determine key metrics like potassium, citric acid, sugar, and nitrogen. Knowing their nitrogen levels is key, as the native yeasts that naturally occur on the fruit need nitrogen to do their job in native fermentation.
“Our winemaker Nate Wall describes it as minimalist winemaking. The idea is, if you have healthy fruit, you don't need to add all that stuff. The chemistry is there to naturally produce wine. It’s similar to comparing an A+ organically grown green pepper to a conventional pepper in the grocery store – the taste is completely different.” – Craig
The Secret to Good Marketing
According to Craig, their commitment to the environment also improves their product – and it makes for a great story.
“The secret to good marketing, especially in this age of social media, is to have a story to tell. A lot of people don't have a real story with energy and passion behind it. There’s nothing really compelling about something industrially produced. For us, the way we farm, our environmental impact, and what we grow and make is all the same story.” – Craig
Creating their Own Market
Wine is sold and distributed via a three-tier system, from producer to distributor to retailer. The major distributors aren’t interested in small-allocation wines as they’re in the business of “moving boxes.” To adapt, Troon is connecting with people that care about what they consume, focusing on distributors that want these unique partnerships.
“The people who will spend extra money for organic food at the grocery store are the same customers that are buying our wines. We’re lucky there are enough people that can afford to spend a few extra dollars on ours and other healthy products. Look at the success of farmers' markets across the country. We’re seeing a change in the food scene, with even restaurants buying vegetables from us because they want Biodynamic vegetables that are grown locally.” – Craig
Our Path to 50% Market Share 4 Regen
Craig believes there’s a deeper appreciation that we have to go beyond just organics to a more complete system like regenerative organic. The key to growing the regen market is convincing farmers that they can make money by growing a better product.
Farmers have been following the same practices for decades, and have hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in equipment to support those practices. Making the change to regenerative isn’t easy. But once they see they can make that change and still stay in business, that they can be more sustainable as a business if they farm sustainably – they will get onboard.
“If you can convince Triscuits that they're going to make more money if they use regenerative grain in their crackers, that is inspirational to them. We have to convert the producers and farmers first, because the consumer already wants it – they’re going to choose the product they perceive to be more healthy.”
You can check out the full episode with Craig from Troon Vineyard HERE.
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This ReGen Recap was produced with support from Kristina Tober