Great wines are made in the vineyard. But what exactly happens in the vineyard?
What turmoil does the soil experience? How many chemicals are sprayed on the grapes? Are farmworkers treated well?
“I think consumers really aren’t given the full story,” Chiara Shannon told the Sun.
Over the two decades she’s spent in the wine industry, Shannon has worn hats as a sommelier, consultant, and wine shop manager. Then, in 2024, she became a grower when she and her husband, Joseph Brent, bought Groundstar Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Green grapes
Discover Groundstar Vineyard on Instagram @groundstarvineyard and at groundstarvineyard.com. Read more about regenerative organic farming at regenorganic.org.
“A lot of people are surprised when we tell them that we didn’t get into the business to make wine,” Shannon said. “We got into the business to be better farmers and grow grapes and help the wine community that way.”
After acquiring the property, the husband-and-wife duo began working to earn a regenerative organic certification, the “gold standard for farming integrity,” Shannon explained. In June, Groundstar became the first vineyard to do so in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA (American Viticultural Area). The owners are proud to be the first and only growers so far but hope more will join them in the future.
“What regenerative organic certified does [is] take all these important principles and practices and put them into a pretty rigorous certification that really now is the gold standard for organic, fair trade, ecologically, future-focused protocols,” she said.
Previously Ampelos Cellars’ vineyard, the land was already well established when the couple bought it. Shannon, the president of the Sta. Rita Hills Wine Alliance, said the previous team also had a reputation for ecological farming.
“They were one of the first certified biodynamic vineyards in the state,” she said, referencing beneficial soil building practices. “That was definitely something that was important and certainly part of why we chose to purchase that vineyard instead of anything else that we had seen.”
Today, the 25 acres of grapes at Groundstar—named after a rare native plant species—are mostly pinot noir. Also interspersed are syrah and grenache, with more varieties being planted, too.
Regenerative organic certification is the one-stop shop for sustainable farming practices. Like the highest rung on the ladder, it sits above prerequisites such as organic and biodynamic certification.
The certificate requires a rigorous audit of everything from farmworkers’ salaries to how much tillage occurs. It extends to guidelines around the treatment of animals on the property, what kind of plants grow, water use, insect species, and soil testing.
“It took a long time, and also, it took a village. It took the cooperation of our vineyard management company, our staff. We hired some important consultants,” Shannon said of the year-and-a-half-long process.
The certification is awarded by the nonprofit Regenerative Organic Alliance and applies to all farming sectors globally, not just viticulture. It’s been granted to more than 580 types of crops across 55,900 small farms, according to the organization’s website.
Sheep arrived in January to graze Groundstar Vineyards for the first time and stimulate soil activity. The animals tamp down some invasive plants, helping native species to grow instead. Regenerative systems must limit harmful disruption to the soil.
“In our year 1, we reduced our soil disturbance by 50 percent,” Shannon said. “This meant not plowing every row, for example.”
Her goal for this year is zero tillage.
Another strategy is using cover crops to keep the soil intact so it can rebuild itself. Shannon sources seeds from a reputable crop supplier and said their cover is diversifying.
These practices are meant to help with the effects of what Shannon calls a topsoil depletion crisis.
“I’ve heard different numbers thrown out, but we’re looking at maybe 50 harvests left globally, not just in wine,” Shannon explained. “Just kind of broadly speaking. The agricultural model that we followed as a society, as humans, has been extractive, and we are taking out much more than we’re putting back in. So, we’re facing some real challenges.”
Shannon feels that Groundstar is moving in the right direction for the future of the industry. She and her husband don’t make their own wines, but a handful of local wineries buy Groundstar grapes, including Flying Goat Cellars, Story of Soil, and the former steward of the land, Ampelos Cellars.
“Many winemakers may not have access to organic and or regenerative organic grapes, and so that was something that was really important to us as a grower, … so that we can provide grapes farmed in this way to local winemakers,” Shannon said.
After production, their wines fill glasses for tasters near and far. Bottles are marked with a regenerative organic certification logo to educate consumers about what they’re purchasing.
As she learned more about wine over the course of her career, the grower decided not to drink wines with lots of pesticides and other “junk.”
“I want my own wine drinking choices to be aligned with my values, made from grapes grown in ways that minimize harm,” Shannon said.
It can be difficult to find regenerative organic certified wines because there aren’t many compared to the vast sea of labels that exist. However, smaller operations that aren’t certified may still be practicing ecologically sound farming. With a little online research or a visit to the tasting room, consumers can ask the right questions to learn whether a winery sells products that are up to their personal standards.
“There isn’t anyone else in Santa Rita, and I hope there will be,” Shannon said of her certification. “We want others to follow in our footsteps.”
Reach Staff Writer Madison White at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in August 20 – August 27, 2026.
