Earth Day 2025
Here at Terragena, every bottle tells a story—of the vineyard, the seasons, the soil, and the care that goes into crafting each wine. As we welcome new friends and celebrate old, we pause to reflect on how the Terragena of today couldn’t exist without the Terragena of the past.
Our founder started this journey with a deep respect for the land and a commitment to creating wines that reflect the unique character of the vineyards they come from. Today, on Earth Day, we look back at that journey in celebration for all that is possible, now and for the future.
“For me, winemaking is both an art and a science, and I approach each vintage with equal parts curiosity, respect, and excitement.” — Chris Buchanan
Terragena is more than just a winery—it’s an invitation to explore a thoughtfully grounded approach to winemaking.
In 2008, Chris Buchanan moved from New Orleans directly to the middle of what would become the original Terragena Vineyard. At the time, the land was completely undeveloped with steep forested hillsides and few clearings. Buchanan set up a tent in the middle of one clearing and set about learning about the land: hiking throughout it, creating new trails and uncovering old logging roads. With the help of family and friends, he constructed a yurt to live in and began developing the off-grid water and power systems.
Living out on the property and working to acquire basic necessities gave Buchanan an appreciation for civilization he never had before—an appreciation for the many centuries of human innovation that enabled a minor physical act, one a child could perform, to light up a space regardless of time of day.
This firsthand experience made a lasting impression.
“The opportunity to pioneer and craft the earth and technology became a rush I couldn’t avoid,” says Buchanan. “The utter fearlessness that you encounter knowing that you could lose everything yet still be able to rebuild is irreplaceable. We all face challenges and we all find meaning in what matters to us. What mattered to me, or what I discovered mattered, is the confidence in knowing I can create anything from the raw materials we have.”
Buchanan continued the adventure over the next few years, finishing the off-grid solar power system and water system and working with a local construction team to build the vineyard house. The completed solar power system he conceptualized and put into reality with guidance from his electrical engineer father, provided power for the yurt, the vineyard house, and all vineyard and winery operations.
“Keep in mind this was before solar was as widespread and abundant as it is now. This was a major risk, very few people had reliable off-grid systems at the time. New technology had literally just come out and I saw the utility and efficacy,” says Buchanan. “For cloudy days, a backup propane generator automatically activates if necessary.”
Terragena Wine sold the Humboldt property and transitioned to a digital wine brand after the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, we share space and resources with other passionate winemakers in Mendocino County.
Our careful coordination with our vineyard partners to produce the highest quality fruit means we have less processing in the winery. Less processing means less water use, less power use, less additions, and ultimately better protected wine.
Some of the techniques used across our partner vineyards are:
Rain water ponds to irrigate vineyards which avoids depletion of aquifers.
Recycled waste-water used for irrigation.
Compost and ground cover planting for soil health.
Integrated Pest Management to reduce spraying and encourage beneficials.
Lastly, it is with gratitude to the early pioneers of the environmental movement, specifically Senator Gaylord Nelson and youth activist Dennis Hayes who, in 1970, organized a series of teach-ins across the United States and marked April 22 Earth Day, that we join in advocacy with the global community to demand more. Today, more than half of a century later there is still so much work to be done.
