Martha Stoumen: Martha Stoumen Wines

Graton Rancheria land – Sebastopol, California

https://marthastoumen.com, @marthastouman

Martha has a passion for nature. She is most happy lost in the creativity of winemaking, which she thankfully discovered when she was 22, working at an organic, full-circle farm outside of Siena, Italy. 

After 8 years of apprenticing around the world, Martha set out as a self-funded, first-generation winemaker to answer the question, “What does California taste like when we slow down and farm wine with mother nature in mind?”

Founded in 2014, Martha Stoumen Wines is a majority female-owned and operated business. What started as a one-woman project has morphed into what is truly a team effort today. Winemaking is based out of a cooperative winemaking space in Sebastopol, California (Martha’s hometown). To celebrate the beautiful grapes that the land here provides, all wines are fermented with native microbes and bottled with minimal sulfites. We practice organic and dry-farmed viticulture in the vineyards we lease and in the majority of the vineyards we purchase fruit from. Vineyards are located throughout Northern California, mainly in Mendocino County. 

We see ourselves as one voice in a chorus of agricultural producers who are changing the tune of the wine industry.

Social Justice and Environmental Restoration Statement

98% of the vineyards we work with are farmed organically (including those we lease), and we’ve worked with farmers to eliminate all herbicides and introduce compost for the remaining 2%. 75% of the vineyards we work with are dry-farmed (including all of the vineyards we lease and farm).

We use lightweight glass in our packaging and purchase US-made glass whenever available. We don’t use capsules, and we keep our label size small intentionally to reduce paper waste. We use corks that are FSC certified and have the highest rating available for OK Biobased® certification (which guarantees the organic origin of the carbon content in products).

We practice inclusive hiring. Our benefits include healthcare, retirement benefits with employer contribution, sick/family leave beyond our state minimums, 11 paid holidays per year, and an additional month of paid time off per year.

We have donated funds to Planting Justice, Restaurant Workers' Community Foundation, Undocufund, and Corazon Healdsburg. We have donated wine to numerous fundraisers focused on inclusion, environmental issues, and education. Personally, I have petitioned for Ag worker justice—specifically to change the exception in CA overtime laws for Ag workers—through United Farm Workers.