Native Fermentation Achieved With Help Of Packet

Celebrating a hands-off, terroir-driven wild fermentation that he described as an act of faith in the vineyard, winemaker Paul Ostergaard confirmed Friday that the ferment had been gently encouraged on day nine by a packet, sources reported. “There’s something almost spiritual about surrendering control and trusting whatever came in on the skins,” said Ostergaard, who had watched the tank sit at 1.098 for four days doing absolutely nothing while his heart rate climbed. “The ambient population here is really singular. You can’t replicate it.” Ostergaard added that the packet had been a small one and that he had thought about it a lot beforehand. As of press time, the wine’s back label read “spontaneous.”