Phil Coturri

Phil Coturri is an American viticulturalist. As a vineyard manager, Coturri has been recognized as pioneering organic and biodynamic farming in California. He is the chief executive officer of Enterprise Vineyard Management and co-owner of Winery Sixteen 600.

Early life

Phil Coturri grew up in San Francisco, California. An Italian-American, Coturri's grandfather was from Lucca, Italy. Coturri made wine with his grandfather as a young man. Coturri met Arden Kremer, his future wife, in 1976, while the two were working the wine harvest, picking grapes, in Kenwood, California.

Philosophy

"If an organic tomato is going to taste better than a hot-house tomato, an organic grape is going to taste better than a conventionally-grown grape."

Coturri utilizes organic farming practices in his vineyard management. No fertilizer or synthetic herbicides or pesticides are used in the planting and management process. He utilizes cover crops and encourages the use of integrated pest management with the installation of beehives, for pollinating, and bird boxes, to house owls and hawks. Other examples of organic practices include distributing oyster shells throughout rocky soil vineyards to add calcium to the soil. Additionally, Coturri participates in biodynamic farming, even though he does not believe in the spiritual belief system associated with the biodynamic process. In 1983, In 2013, Coturri oversaw the replanting for the Mayacamas Vineyards. That same year, the Moon Mountain District AVA was certified as an American Viticultural Area. Coturri has been recognized for helping with the certification. Of the 1,500 acres of vineyards in the AVA, Coturri manages 400 acres. As of 2016, Coturri manages 800 acres of vineyards. Clients include Bartholomew Park Winery, Landmark Vineyards, Laurel Glen Vineyard, Bedrock Wine Co., Amapola Creek, Harlan Estate, and Moon Mountain Vineyard.

Wine production Winery Sixteen 600

Coturri co-operates Winery Sixteen 600 with his sons, Sam and Max. Varietals include Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Grenache, and estate grown Zinfandel. They have a tasting room in downtown Sonoma. The winery has limited distribution, with wines being available at local restaurants in Sonoma, California and the Lake Tahoe area.

Olive oil

Coturri also co-produces an olive oil which is made with fruit from organic Italian olive trees planted on Coturri's home property. Coturri, alongside Lorenzo Petroni and Robert Cannard, imported thousands of trees. They were some of the first people in California to import and plant olive trees from Italy. Coturri and his wife, Arden Kremer, produce the olive oil, producing approximately 30 to 60 gallons annually. In 2016, Coturri was recognized for his water conservation practices by the Golden Gate Salmon Association. The couple have two sons, Sam and Max.