Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/724773
f a l l 2 0 1 6 | 4 1 "Farming the way we do, our roots have to go much deeper, and the resulting wines are a pure expression of the land. Elegant, restrained and complex—these wines represent true and naked terroir." —Erica Crawford In a world where the word "sustainable" seems to be slapped on anything that is grown, cultivated, put in a bottle and sold at market, it is rare to find individu- als who don't just talk about being sus- tainable, but who actually walk the walk. There is an idea within biodynamics that intention is—in many ways—as important as practice. There is no one with a more resolute intent towards sustainability than the husband and wife winemaking team of Erica and Kim Crawford, of Loveblock in New Zealand's Awatere Valley in Marlborough. "Loveblock was the culmination of what started as a deeply personal journey for us," explains Erica. After selling their first endeavor—the eponymous Kim Crawford Wines—Erica and Kim embarked upon a path that would lead them away from the corporate mainstream and into something altogether different. Soon after the sale, Erica recounts, "At a doctor's visit, I was told I had the vitals of a person almost twice my age." With two young children, and a life ahead of them, Erica and Kim realized they needed to make a change. "I started looking at labels on food products and eliminated foods with additives when possible," explains Erica. "Then I took it a step further: What is going on my skin? What are we using to clean our house? And when you think about it, all of those chemi- cals go down the drain, and where do they end up?" Erica pauses a moment to let that sink in. It wasn't long before Erica and Kim jumped back into winemak- ing. It was 2004 and the two stumbled upon what Erica describes as "a wild piece of land, untamed and hidden from the world." The Crawfords have been farming their land organically and em- ploy aspects of biodynamic viticulture when possible. "In addition to our two distinct vineyard sites—hillside and valley floor—we've added livestock to the equation," Erica chuckles in amazement. As if they didn't have enough going on, "we added cattle, and the calves that are born here will be certified organic"—completing the cycle that the Crawford's began in 2004. "Our goal is to leave the world a better place than we found it." PHOTO COURTESY OF LOVEBLOCK WINES PHOTO COURTESY OF LOVEBLOCK WINES Kim and Erica Crawford of Loveblock in Marlborough's Awatere Valley of New Zealand.