As accountants who live and work in Napa Valley we are fortunate to have an opportunity to be immersed in the wine industry. We know there is more involved than the numbers we see on paper. But when we step out of the office and into the vineyard we gain an even greater appreciation of the farming activities, hard work, and planning that go into every bottle of wine. Not to mention the sheer faith that is required to adapt to those constant changes in the weather.

Last week, my co-worker Lori Cantafio and I joined the Robert Sinskey Vineyard tasting room team on a vineyard tour. The RSV organic farm practices have been in place long before it was considered fashionable. Their organic method is biodynamic, which looks at the farm as a whole system of interrelated organisms. The goal is to promote the individual character of the vineyard in order to create unique wines with a sense of place. They added sheep as a natural alternative to tractors and weed eaters. Since I live near Carneros in west Napa, I have to say that I much prefer the sound of lambs to the roar of a weed eater.

Lori appreciated the interaction with the RSV team. “They had great questions and I learned the impact the recent frost will have on the current crop.” As a result of the visit, we went back to the office and searched through our research tools to find tax benefits for those affected by the frost damage.
This is one way that getting out of the office and closer to the vineyard allows us to provide ideas and solutions that benefit those in the wine industry.

And besides how can you resist this pair of faces? It sure beats looking at a pair of 20 inch monitors full of numbers.

We will continue exploring the vineyards throughout the season to gain more insight and to look for new ways we can help you – in areas ranging from strategic development to maximizing tax benefits.