In the world of California winemaking, a shift is clearly underway. The new generation of winemakers are pushing beyond the farm-to-table movement and organic agriculture. They’re embracing terroir-driven wines rooted in sustainable farming, low-intervention production, and smaller yields. Helping lead that charge is Matt Courtney. Originally from Mississippi, Matt was raised in the Bay Area, studying philosophy at UC Berkeley before launching into a career in hospitality. First at Alice Waters’ kitchen at Chez Panisse and eventually moving to France and Italy to train in restaurants there. Working with some of the world’s best sommeliers, Matt decided to pursue his degree as a Master Sommelier before switching courses and moving home to become a winemaker. Matt now helms Volterre, a third-generation project in Occidental, making world-class cuvées of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

The vineyards of Volterre are named for “Volpert Terroir”- a special microclimate farmed organically with a focus on sustainability and minimal intervention, owned by the Volpert family. Working exclusively with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Matt emphasizes low yields, balanced canopies to manage wind exposure, careful timing of harvest to preserve acidity, and hand harvesting. The climate of Volterre’s vineyard is cold and marginal by California standards, marked by long growing seasons, delayed ripening, and moderate sugar accumulation. The vineyards sit on Goldridge sandy loam soils layered over fractured sandstone. The combination of coastal exposure, elevation, and well-drained soils produces small berries with thick skins, natural acidity, and extended hang time. This allows for wines that emphasize complexity, freshness, and mineral tension over weight or opulence. All of these factors and outcomes question the old California “standards.”

Matt develops texture and depth through long élevage. Pinot Noir is typically made using a percentage of whole cluster fermentation and natural yeasts, whereas the Chardonnay is gently pressed within hours of harvest. Both are then aged in French oak: the Pinot Noir rests approximately 18 months, whereas the Chardonnay rests approximately 12 months in barrel, followed by additional time in stainless steel to preserve clarity and precision. Oak selection is carefully matched to the vintage, with moderate use of new French oak to build texture without masking site expression. The wines are then bottled unfined and unfiltered when possible.

Producing less than 5,000 bottles annually, Volterre stays intentionally small. Whatever expansion is to come will be slow and controlled, matching Matt’s ethos to his winemaking. The focus therefore remains on refining farming practices and continuing to carve out a new identity of California wine, never making any decisions that take “producing the best” out of the crosshairs for Matt and the Volpert family.