CleverRoot

w i n t e r 2 0 1 8 | 7 Beekeeping seemed like a natural extension of the estate's holistic approach, and the for- mer Ritz-Carlton San Francisco chef had plans to introduce more bees as full-time residents once a multi-year redesign of the winery garden was complete. The Jordan Estate, which is both Fish Friendly Farming and Sonoma Sustainable certified, raises chickens and beef cattle and produces extra-virgin olive oil from 18 acres of Italian and Spanish olives. It also has a one-acre organic garden that supplies Knoll with herbs, vegetables, and fruit from heirloom varieties. With more than three-quarters of the property reserved as natural habitat, the estate of- fers an ideal environment for bees. The nearby Russian River provides them with a reliable water source, while the lush cover crop between vineyard rows is a ready food source. Un- like the Steelhead trout and river otters that call the river home, the European honey bee is not indigenous to the valley, but it plays an essential role as a pollinator and contributes to the area's environmental diversity. As Knoll spent more time working at Jordan Estate, he began exploring the property's rugged outback to find inspiration for his cooking. Native plants and their healthy benefits became a fascination, so honey—a product of the estate's terroir—fit naturally into the foraged aspects of his cuisine. While the labor-intensive, multiple-step process of harvesting honey has always been deemed worthwhile, it can make the adoption of beekeeping seem intimidating. Undeterred, Knoll had begun researching bees when fate intervened by way of his Facebook newsfeed. y s s y s s y y s s s s Beekeeper Mike Turner of Marin Coastal Bee Company wears full protective gear to inspect a Langstroth hive.

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