Algae-fueled future

It's no secret that we have big plans here at Holme Grown Brand California Ecotourism. We've just recently purchased a Mercedes Sprinter Van to host our group tours (starting July 1) and we're lobbying Bay Area clean-tech companies like Solazyme to try to obtain fuel produced from algae with which to run one of our fleet vehicles.

Founded in 2003 and headquarted in South San Francisco, Solazyme's unique technology allows algae to produce oil and biomaterials in standard fermentation facilities quickly, efficiently and at large scale.

Solazyme's fuels provide compelling solutions to increasingly complex issues of fuel scarcity, energy security and environmental impact while fitting cleanly into the pre-exisiting multi-trillion dollar fuel infrastructure.

Solazyme's investors among others include Braemer Energy Ventures, Harris & Harris Group, Lightspeed Venture Partners, the Roda Group, VantagePoint Venture Partners, and investors from strategic industry partners in key market targets.

Boeschen Vineyards powered 100 percent by solar

Here at Holme Grown we're always looking for compelling new eco-friendly wineries to bring into the fold. And recently we stumbled upon a gem named Boeschen Vineyards located just north of St. Helena on the Silverado Trail.

Founded in 1999, the winery is run by three family members who do 100 percent of the cellar work and farming. It is located underground and features the latest in winemaking technology. Boeschen produces just a few hundred cases annually of its Estate Cabernet and its Carrera Estate Blend.

In 2008 Boeschen became just the ninth winery in the Napa Valley to complete the county's Green Certified Winery program. In addition to water and waste conservation practices, it enjoys the energy-saving benefits of an underground facility and is 100 percent powered by solar energy.

While the winery is a relative newcomer, the history of the estate dates back to 1890, when legend has it that 19th century railroad magnate Leland Stanford purchased the property for his mistress.

Curious about the name of their Bordeaux blend? Well it stems from Dann Boeschen's love of vintage Porches. A small collection of which he maintains in an adjoining barn.

Cruising Napa in eco-friendly style

In the months leading up to the launch of Holme Grown, we spent a considerable amount of time finding the perfect vehicle for our fleet (which we hope to grow considerably over the next few years.)

We picked the Mercedes GL320 because of its superior fuel economy, relatively spacious third row, its ability to run on a blend of biodiesel and regular No. 2 diesel and its attractive styling.

And we decided on white vehicles with tan interiors because it seems like every other transportation company in Napa chooses black on black, and at Holme Grown we're a little bit on the contrarian side in terms of how we like to operate.

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, Holme Grown paid a visit to Sabina Vineyards, a winery north of St. Helena that produces just a few hundred cases annually of high end Cabernet sauvignons and Pinot noirs. All made from organic grapes of course!

As usual we were greeted at the gate by Chester, owner David Sabin's lovable guard dog. We wound our way up the driveway past some impressive pieces of sculpture and arrived at his home/winery, just a little distracted by the sweeping views of the Valley floor.

Designed expressly for the limited production of ultra-premium wines, Sabina Vineyards winery is a winemaker's dream. Included in the space are four petite fermentation tanks, a mini-basket press and a collection of custom-made oak barrels for aging.

Bald Eagles at Volker Eisele

Yesterday I took a nice couple from Texas to Volker Eisele, one of my favorite eco-friendly wineries in the Chiles Valley district of Napa. Volker himself conducted the tasting in the winery, which is a restored structure dating back to the 1870s, and took them out into the vineyards. There they saw a pair of Bald Eagles on the wing, which was a first for all of them.

Over the past 35 years the Eiseles have enriched the soils of their sixty acre vineyard through organic farming practices. No herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizers have been used. The vineyard is certified organic by both the California Certified Organic Farmers and the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Napa Green

Have you heard about the Napa Valley Vintner's "Napa Green" program and wondered what all the fuss was about? Well, essentially it's a third-party certification program that offers green certification for vineyards, wineries or both.

"Napa Green...focuses on building environmentally sound, sustainable practices that meet and exceed more than 20 local, state and federal land and production standards," said program manager Anne Steinhauer.

Currently over 33,000 Napa acres are enrolled in the program with 17,000 acres certified, including some of our favorite stops like White Rock, Teachworth and Volker Eisele.

After years of producing yummy energy bars, Clif Bar founder Gary Erickson and his wife Kit decided to try their hand at farming in the Napa Valley, and purchased a vineyard in the undesignated Ink Grade portion of Napa County. Until this summer it's been a private enterprise. But in a few week's they'll open a tasting room on Highway 29, just south of St. Helena.

Holme Grown went up to investigate, and sipped wines paired with different flavored Clif Bars while workers hung pictures and positioned furniture. We definitely recommend the Climber Red and Kit's Killer Cab!

Wanting to impress a group of Napa innkeepers with a one-of-a-kind winery, Holme Grown paid a visit to Teachworth this afternoon. We were hosted by owner Joan Teachworth, a Nebraskan by way of Texas, who makes fewer than 200 cases of Cabernet sauvignon each year on her Diamond Mountain estate.

Her Cab is grown organically on two sloping, one-acre vineyards lying between 700 and 850 feet in elevation. Each vineyard has distinct soil and sun conditions, allowing her to produce three unique wines. All Teachworth Cabernet is aged for 30 months in new French Oak barrels, hand bottled at the winery, and aged an additional two years before release.

Ever wonder where Holme Grown Brand California Ecotourism gets it's biodiesel fuel? Well, we source it all from a chain of Bay Area gas stations called "Rotten Robbie." The particular station we use is on Guerneville Road in Santa Rosa.

Tom Robinson, president of Rotten Robbie, said the choice to start offering B20 biodiesel, a blend of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum-based diesel fuel, was out of environmental concern and to provide another option to customers.

"As a private brander, we want to be able to provide as many options to the consumer as possible to maintain a competitive market," Robinson said. "This is a bit of an experiment to see whether there is a market for B20 and whether it can become a viable alternative fuel option."

Clark Claudon Vineyards

Yesterday Holme Grown visited Clark Claudon Vineyards in the undesignated Ink Grade section of Napa. There we met Tom and Laurie, who are farming with a sensitivity to the soil and surroundings through the use of sustainable agriculture. This includes a permanent cover crop to attract beneficial insects and control erosion, owl and hawk boxes to attract rodent predators and groves of French prunes where the Anagras Wasp, enemy to leaf hoppers, can live. We tasted some of their Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon after touring the vineyards in our Mercedes. We'll be back for sure!

2009 Summer Pricing

In a nod to the current economic climate, Holme Grown Brand California Ecotourism is expanding its pricing options to allow guests to save green while going green. All are flat rates that can be spread among up to six passengers per car.

With our new A la Carte option, which runs at $75 per hour, your Holme Grown guide will work with you to customize your day for as long as you want it to last. Because lunch and tasting fees are not included, guests are able to save by packing their own picnic, and by selecting wineries that either waive fees with purchase, or have smaller tasting fees.

And now our original All Inclusive option, which still runs at $125 per hour, includes an organic picnic lunch for up to six from Whole Foods Market of Napa. Previously this was a $20-per-person add-on.

And remember, dinner transportation anywhere in Wine Country is available for $50 per hour.

We have liftoff!

The wait if finally over. Yes, that's right. We picked up the first Mercedes in our fleet during the last week of April. And on May 1 we officially launched Holme Grown Brand California Ecotourism! Our plan is to grow to two vehicles by the end of our first year, and to a a grand total of eight within three years. And we would like to construct a LEED certified base of operations in the Carneros shortly after that. I took the above photograph on an access road to Merryvale's Starmont Winery facility south of Napa. Isn't she a beauty!? I'd like to specially thank all the people who helped make our launch possible. You know who you are, and we couldn't have done it without you. Here's a to the bright green future of Wine Country tourism. Cheers!

Launch Date

Hi everybody! I know a lot of you are eagerly anticipating the launch of Holme Grown Tours. (Myself included.) Unfortunately that date has been pushed back from March 21 to the first week of May due to a holdup of the production of our first Mercedes SUV. The company is only producing around 200,000 of the GL320 BlueTEC, which makes it a little difficult to obtain one in a timely fashion. However, I’ve posted a photo of the exact model and color for your viewing pleasure. We decided to go with white as opposed to the traditional black or silver because what we’re doing is the antithesis of the established Napa tour companies. Symbolism! Gotta love it. –Dorsey H. Kindler

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