Ungrafted

What would happen if we brought some of the most thoughtful growers together — n

What would happen if we brought some of the most thoughtful growers together — not to compete or compare, but to listen, share, and learn from one another?

On January 22, 2026, the Ungrafted Farming Conference hosted four panels exploring soil health, cover cropping, plant sap analysis, and animal integration in the vineyard, with some of the most committed and curious farmers working today. Here is a (very) condensed version of the day.

[00:00] Welcome — Icy Liu @icy_liu_ Opening remarks and a reading from Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass

[00:02] Introduction — Paul Wasserman @paulbwasserman How a group of obsessive farmers accidentally created a conference

[00:04] Panel 1: “Foundations of Vineyard Health and Effects on Wine Quality” with Cyril Courvoisier (Cornas, France) and Thomas Bouley (Volnay, France) Moderated by Paul Wasserman & Icy Liu

Thomas Bouley @thomasbouley1 — Thomas is a fourth-generation vigneron who took over in 2002 and completely transformed his approach to soil health. Thomas shares his early misconception that poor soils make great grapes, what changed his mind, and why he distinguishes between vigor and vitality. Topics include grinding versus burning pruning canes, late hedging, and 23 years of patient observation.

[00:11] Cyril Courvoisier @domainecyrilcourvoisier — Cyril shares how planting on abandoned land with 70-year-old forest led him to discover the power of wood chips and straw mulching, and how that completely changed his approach to soil biology, mycorrhizae, and more. 

[00:17] Panel 2: “Let Vines Vine: Cover Crops, Balance And Adaptation In A Variable Climate” with Dr. Dylan Grigg @gdylla (Barossa Valley, Australia) Moderated by Paul Knittel @paul.knittel and Icy Liu

Dr. Dylan Grigg @gdylla — Dylan is a viticulture consultant and grower with over 25 years of experience across Australia and Spain. He breaks down the three types of cover crops (green manure, permanent regenerating, and specialist), carbon to nitrogen ratios, seeding methods, species complexity, and why a beautiful cover crop can quietly be stealing from your vines.

Key topics covered:

[00:26] Panel 3: “Vine Health & Nutrition and Effects on Wine Quality” with Tomoko Kuriyama-Bott (Chanterêves, Savigny-lès-Beaune, France) and Philine Isabelle Dienger (Barolo, Italy) Moderated by Icy Liu

Tomoko @chantereves & Philine @az._agr._philine_isabelle

A fascinating and cutting-edge panel on what is actually happening inside the plant itself. Tomoko gives a crash course in redox chemistry and pH, explains the redox cross, and walks through how the Nutriscope scanner and Nova Cropp lab analysis work in practice. Topics include:

[00:46] Panel 4: Holistic Vineyard Management with Alice Anderson (Âmevive Winery, Santa Barbara, USA) Moderated by Christina Rasmussen @christinarasmussen_ @littlewine.io and Icy Liu

Alice walks through the practical realities of holistic vineyard management and animal integration — the beauty, the heartbreak, and the biology behind it all. A genuinely joyful and honest conversation about working with animals to build living soils.

Animals covered:

Thank you to @beckywasserman.co for sponsoring the conference. 

Today I speak with François de Nicolay from Domaine Chandon de Briailles in Savigny-les-Beaune, Burgundy. The 14 hectare biodynamic domaine started experimenting with spraying with skim milk instead of sulfur against powdery mildew in 2013. Powdery mildew (oidium in French) is a major fungal disease that affects vitis vinifera worldwide by decreasing grape quality and yield.  

Francois talks about how milk works as a preventative and curative measure, as well its advantages and disadvantages.  

@chandon.de.briailles

Brian McClintic is an ex Master Sommelier who worked at the Little Nell in Aspen and starred in the SOMM documentary films. Brian launched Viticole Wine in 2016, a wine club for which he collaborates with organic wine and cider producers around the world on custom bottlings.  

Today I speak with Brian about fermented beverages of the future, including multiple fruit ferments and herbal infusions. We also chat about regenerative agriculture, racism, and how to make our lives and businesses more sustainable with glass bottle recycling, homesteading, and B Corp certification.

Instagram @brianbmcclintic @viticolewine

Today I speak with Carlton McCoy MS from the Roots Fund and Demeine Estates about Black representation in the wine industry.    

Carlton grew up in southeast Washington DC where wine was not part of his family or culture.  After winning the C-CAP (Careers Through Culinary Arts Program) cooking contest, he earned a full scholarship to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, which kickstarted his wine career. Carlton became a Master Sommelier when he was only 28 years old, and was the second African American to earn the title. To date, there are only 3 Black Master Sommeliers out of 269. He was the Wine Director at The Little Nell in Aspen before becoming President and CEO of Heitz Cellar and Demeine Estates.

Carlton and I discuss the situation of black wine professionals and the importance of mentorship. We also chat about the Roots Fund, which provides wine education, mentorship, and job opportunities for people of color.  

To learn more about the Roots Fund founded by Carlton McCoy, Tahiirah Habibi, and Ikimi Dubose, please visit www.rootsfund.com

Instagram: @carltonmccoy @rootsfund @sippingsocialite @thehuesociety 

Today I speak with Olivier Lamy of Domaine Hubert Lamy in Saint Aubin, Burgundy. Olivier is one of Burgundy’s cult winemakers and a pioneer in the return to high density plantings.  

Olivier discusses the history of plantations in Burgundy and Champagne, the practical choices that led to a lowering of the vine densities after phylloxera, and how his vines yield better quality grapes and perform better in warmer vintages.  

Photo by: Gretchen Greer

I speak with Steve Matthiasson, vineyard consultant and owner of Matthiasson Vineyards in Napa, about water conservation in the vineyard.

Steve gives an overview of Napa’s climate and how farming practices have changed over the last 20 years. He cautions that drought cycles are more extreme and that all indicators show that there will be less water in the future.  He discusses farming practices that help conserve water including planting cover crops, increasing soil organic matter, tilling differently, changing row orientations, and using different trellising systems and deeper rooted rootstocks.  It turns out that farming practices that conserve water are also good for the soil.

Steve also talks about how certain wine styles require more irrigation, and that there is an aspect to sustainability on the consumer side as well.

Photo Credit: Elaine Chukan Brown 

Instagram: matthiasson_wine

Website: matthiasson.com

I speak with Christina Rasmussen and Daniela Pillhofer, cofounders of Little Wine about carbon neutral shipping.  Little Wine is an online wine content platform focused on organic plus and climate positive growers.  Little Wine also has an online bottle shop and wine club, with carbon neutral shipping.  Since their founding in April 2020, they have offset 100+ tonnes of CO2 to date.  According to German nonprofit Atmosfair, that’s around 100 round trip flights from London to New York City.  

Christina and Daniela talk how they chose EcoCart and a water purification project in Cambodia for their carbon neutral shipping program, where they have prevented 25,000 trees from being chopped down to date.  We also talk about the future of wine distribution, and how they are inspired by fashion brand Organic Basics and Jancis Robinson.

Instagram: @littlewine.co @winecarbonara @christinarasmussen_ 

Website: https://littlewine.co/

Today I interview Cristiana Tiberio from Agricola Tiberio in Abruzzo about biotypes.  Cristiana discusses the difference between biotypes and clones.  She also shares her journey identifying biotypes in her vineyard, including the Fonte Canale biotype of Trebbiano Abruzzese and 4 distinct biotypes of Montelpucinao d’Abruzzo which behave differently in the vines and the cellar.

Instagram: @cristianatiberio

Today, I chat with Elaine Chukan Brown about Indigenous representation in the wine industry.  

Elaine is an Alaskan Native, from the Inupiaq-Unangan-Sugpiaq tribes.   She started fishing commercially when she was nine years old and worked in various industries before starting her wine career.  Elaine is a wine educator and writer.  She is the American wine specialist at JancisRobinson.com and has contributed to the 4th edition of the Oxford Companion to Wine and the 8th edition of the World Atlas of Wine.  She was voted IWSC Wine Communicator of the Year in 2020.

We discuss the history of Indigenous Americans and alcohol, misguided stereotypes, cultural appropriation, and what it means to be an Indigenous-owned winery.

Photo by Elaine, with her grandmother, an Alaskan native from the Inupiaq-Yupik tribes.

Instagram: @hawk_wakawaka

We conclude Regenuary with our interview with Mimi Casteel. Mimi is one of the preeminent voices for regenerative agriculture and no till, which she practices at Hope Well Vineyard in Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon.

Mimi explains the advantages and disadvantages of tilling, one of which is the release of carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.  She addresses what she believes are necessary changes to farming subsidies and viticultural regulations if we are to achieve a sustainable future.  

Instagram: @mimicasteel

Website: hopewellwine.com

Photo by: Aubrie Legault