Alta Orsa Winery
Get the Dirt from Martin Bernal-Hafner
“My favorite varietal to work with is Cabernet Sauvignon because it requires patience from the vineyard to the bottle. It’s the last to come in and the last to leave. ”
What was your first vintage year? The estate organic vineyard was planted in the late 1980s, the first vintage was 1993 under Topel Winery, and in 2018 we opened up the next chapter of this land as Alta Orsa Winery.
How many cases do you make per vintage? We average under 1,000 cases per vintage.
Do you have a Tasting Room?
We do not have a tasting room, but people can make appointments for a private tour and barrel tasting with me.
What wine made you want to become a winemaker/start your own winery?
Northern Rhone wines. Hermitage Syrah and Marsanne.
What varietals do you work with? Which varietal/wine is your favorite to make? Why?
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay. My favorite varietal to work with is Cabernet Sauvignon because it requires patience from the vineyard to the bottle. It’s the last to come in and the last to leave the cellar.
What vineyards do you source from? If Estate, why did you choose your location?
Most of our wine comes from our estate which was planted and farmed regeneratively since the late 1980s. Our hillside vineyard is at 1400’ of elevation and is perfect for growing Bordeaux varietals. It is special because of its topographic diversity, microclimate, and soils. We also partner with two growers in Sonoma County – Hafner Vineyard and Slusser Ranch - for our Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines.
What type of oak treatment do you use? Why?
Depends on the wine. We use anywhere from 0% to 40% new French oak. Cabernet sees the most and our Rosé is all stainless steel.
What do you love about your winemaking region? What makes it different special?
Mendocino is the next frontier. The rugged terrain makes for unique vineyard sites. A lot of pioneer winemakers are exploring what this AVA has to offer and are trying intriguing varietals.
What’s the story behind your winery name / label?
Alta Orsa is Latin for deep-rooted undertaking. Although this is a new winery name, we have a deep history of winemaking at the estate and the winery. Alta also means high, which speaks to our high-altitude vineyard. The label is the silhouette of Duncan Peak, which stands as a sentry to our North, and it is filled with a deconstructed aerial outline of our nine vineyard blocks.
What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about the wine business before you started your own winery?
Extreme patience is required in all aspects of the business.
Most importantly, what's so great about being small? What can you do as a small winemaker, that wouldn't be possible for larger wineries?
We get to know our customers and build human-to-human relationships. As a small winery Martin, our winemaker, grows the grapes, makes the wine, and sells the wine. It also gives us more freedom in the winemaking realm as we aren’t bound by the requests of distributors; instead, we listen directly to our patrons and our palates.
How do you view the future in the wine industry for small-lot winemakers?
It’s an exciting, yet challenging road ahead. It is exciting because more and more people are looking for a story behind the product. A certain segment of wine consumers is shying away from mass-produced wines and seeking craft, quality, and value wines. However, we do need more support directly from consumers as consolidation in the production and distribution side has made it more difficult for the small wineries to get traction.
If you could choose another wine region to work in what would it be? Why?
I would choose to work in Oregon as it feels to me a lot like Mendocino, where many of the winemakers still have a pioneering spirit. The community is not as saturated by larger wineries that at the end of the day only look at the bottom line. Wine is a labor of love.
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