I recently had the pleasure of attending a regenerative viticulture intensive at The Vineyards at Dodon in Davidsonville, Maryland. Held in partnership with Kelly Mulville, Elaine Patarini and the Paicines Ranch Learning Center, the workshop took place over a day and a half, June 16–17.

This event marked the official launch of the Dodon Center for Ecological Farming, a “new nonprofit dedicated to promoting a rich ecological farming and food system transition through collaboration, training, and education”[1]. Polly Pittman and Tom Croghan are the founders of the nonprofit, and the energy they’ve put into the Center was palpable throughout the event, setting a thoughtful and inspiring tone for what’s to come.

About Dodon

The Vineyards at Dodon are co-owned by Polly Pittman and her husband Tom Croghan and form part of a 555-acre working farm protected by the Dodon Land Trust. The first vines were planted in 2010, and today the vineyard includes more than 31,000 vinifera vines across 17 acres, featuring Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. Dodon has a fascinating agricultural and historical legacy that continues to inform its present-day philosophy—I encourage readers to learn more about it here.

Dodon’s farming practices reflect an ambitious and integrated set of goals, which were shared in a presentation slide titled “Dodon’s Objectives”. These include:

  • Restoring ecosystems at the vineyard and landscape levels
  • Reducing the physical and chemical footprint
  • Capturing and storing carbon
  • Reducing or eliminating pollution
  • Adapting to a rapidly changing climate
  • Producing good food and wine
  • Engaging and empowering employees
  • Providing guests with an elegant and impeccable yet warm and familiar experience

Dodon’s approach to viticulture is rooted in regenerative farming, with the overarching aim “to reduce our chemical and physical footprint while returning life and biology to the landscape.”[2]

What Is Regenerative Viticulture?

As Tom noted early on in the workshop, “regenerative agriculture” remains a fluid concept, with no universally accepted definition. That said, Dodon’s working definition is “an approach that relies on natural processes to promote diverse life and vitality in agroecosystems.”

The Paicines Ranch Perspective

Kelly Mulville, vineyard director at Paicines Ranch in California, joined the team in 2014 after pitching ranch owner Sallie Calhoun on a bold idea: to design a vineyard that “required few inputs or human labor, delivered high-quality grapes and animal protein, improved soil health, sequestered carbon, boosted biodiversity, and yielded a sound financial return”.[3]

At Dodon, Kelly shared some of the lessons learned from nearly a decade of experimentation. As expected in any undertaking of this nature, there’s been trial and error, but the progress has been promising. One notable marker of success: after tasting the inaugural 2021 vintage of Assyrtiko from the vineyard, winemaker Megan Bell of Margins Wine sold the the entire lot to the wine buyer of a single wine shop.

Key Themes and Takeaways

Over the course of the workshop, Tom and Kelly covered a wide range of topics, with a particular focus on two cornerstones of regenerative viticulture: cover crops and livestock integration.

Cover crops serve multiple functions, from attracting beneficial insects and deterring pests, to improving soil structure, retaining moisture, sequestering carbon, and feeding livestock. In turn, livestock take on roles traditionally handled by machines and human labor: fertilizing the soil with manure, urine, and even saliva; gently aerating the earth through managed movement; and contributing secondary agricultural products. When well managed, they embody the regenerative ethos—cycling nutrients, reducing external inputs, and creating vitality in the system. (And yes, they also make for great photos.)

During one of our excursions into the vineyards, Tom introduced us to Francis Smith of the Maryland Forest Service, who has worked closely with Dodon on agroforestry initiatives, including the integration of fruit trees into the farm’s broader landscape. His perspective added a valuable layer to the discussion on biodiversity and long-term resilience.

Other topics included trellising systems, the use (and avoidance) of herbicides and pesticides, and honest reflections on what hasn’t worked. The audience—roughly fifty participants representing a cross-section of farmers, researchers, winery and vineyard professionals, hospitality workers, and students—was engaged and inquisitive throughout, contributing to an atmosphere of shared curiosity and mutual learning.

A Beautiful Evening

It would be remiss not to mention the incredible reception and dinner that capped off the first day. Set amidst the vineyard landscape, the meal was as beautiful as it was delicious: a salad of local greens and edible flowers; sourdough focaccia; lamb kofta (sourced from Dodon’s own flock); lacto-fermented labneh and Lebanese garlic sauce; brown-butter mushrooms; cardamom-roasted carrot and quinoa salad; local fruit; and raw milk panna cotta. Wines from Dodon and other participating winemakers flowed freely, rounding out a memorable experience.

It was a pleasure to meet new connections and reconnect with familiar faces, including Chrisa Giorgi, who was documenting the event for Dodon. I encourage readers to take a look at the Dodon Center for Ecological Farming YouTube channel, where they can view these video clips, which capture the spirit and scope of the workshop beautifully.

Final Reflections

As I left the vineyard and drove off in my new-ish Chevy Bolt EV, I made sure the “regen” drive feature was on. After just a couple of months with the car, I’ve come to appreciate this function—it allows me to reduce my use of the brake pedal while recapturing energy and returning it to the battery. It felt like the perfect metaphor to carry with me after a day and a half spent exploring regenerative viticulture: a reminder that, with thoughtful design and intentional stewardship, we can create systems that give more than they take.

Many thanks to the team at Dodon for hosting such a thoughtful, inspiring, and well-organized event. Special thanks to Hannah Flaherty, Client Services Manager, for her clear communication and kind support before and during the workshop.

[1] https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7308508714032943104/

[2] https://www.dodonvineyards.com/sustainability

[3] https://paicinesranch.com/our-work/vineyard/