Few people have seen, up close, the ravages of war and what it can do to the land and everything that grows on it - or doesn't grow.

But Doug Tunnell, owner and winemaker for Brick House Vineyards in Newberg, Ore., experienced war on the front lines as a war correspondent for CBS. The tragedies Tunnell
witnessed on the job have greatly influenced how he lives his life today in his estate vineyards of Oregon's Willamette Valley.

The 57-year-old is one of a growing number of winemakers who have turned to biodynamic farming - a practice of farming that goes beyond organic, relying on the lunar calendar and ancient practices of viewing agriculture as a living organism rather than a production facility.Tunnell wanted to be as far away from the destruction of land as he could get, and biodynamic farming is not only farming without the harmful use of pesticides and insecticides, it also includes replacing nutrients often stripped from the soil by regular farming.

Born and raised in West Linn, Ore., Tunnell grew up a "river rat," swimming in the waters of the nearby Willamette River, polluted by discharges from pulp mills that lined the banks. But years later, Tunnell admits, the goop in the water caused him to give careful consideration to his eventual impact on the region's watershed.

"When you are young, you don't think about it," says Tunnell. "We grew up with the pulp mills - we were the young river rats, and, like most youth, we thought we were invincible," he remembers. "I knew, years later, that as a farmer, I would take great care."
 
In 1973, Tunnell was in Beirut when the Middle East war broke out. He eventually found work as a journalist in the region, getting a bird's-eye view of the harshness of war on people and the land. Ten years ago, after Tunnell had returned to his home state of Oregon and purchased a vineyard in the Ribbon Ridge appellation southwest of Portland, he met his future wife, Melissa Mills.

"Farming for him is a very deliberate, peaceful and thoughtful pursuit," says Mills. "After many years of covering wars, this is how he chooses to live - giving something back to the land in a peaceful way."

To understand the natural rhythms of his farm, Tunnell chose a holistic farming approach developed in the 1920s. Called biodynamic farming, it not only encompasses many principles of organic farming - such as the elimination of all chemicals - but also requires close attention to the varied forces of nature influencing the vine.

"If you look at the lunar rhythms of the moon and its influence on water, why wouldn't that affect the growth of plants?" asks Tunnell.

Biodynamic agriculture includes four key elements, which Brick House adheres to: biodiversity, soil health, self-sustainability and pest and disease prevention. Lunar and solar rhythms are also important in biodynamic farming, and  farmers believe certain parts of plants are stimulated as the moon and the sun travel across the sky.

During his journalism career, which also took him to France, Tunnell says he learned to love both Burgundy and the Gamay grape of Beaujolais. Brick House is one of the few wineries in North America that produce wine made from the Gamay grape. France produces most of the world's Gamay fruit, but outside of Europe, the varietal remains a black sheep.

"I saw it (Gamay grapes) planted side by side with Pinot Noir, just south of Burgundy," Tunnell says. "When I planted my vineyards, I had that in mind."

Pruned sparingly and given its due in the winery, Gamay Noir can be a luscious, dark wine with enough acidity to match a wide array of foods. Its allure is irresistible.

In a normal year, Tunnell produces three high-end Pinot Noir wines and small amounts of a refreshing Chardonnay. It is the Brick House Pinot Noirs - wines that wrap around food like a wool coat on a frosty night - that showcase the care Tunnell takes in his estate vineyards. The wines are lithe, the tannins are soft in the mouth but round - you won't notice any tartness, bitterness or thinness. His Pinot Noir has flavors of cherry, strawberry, and cinnamon and a peppery finish. Paired with a cedar-plank-grilled salmon, or seared tuna with just a touch of lime and pepper, Brick House Pinot Noir is a great dancer. The wines dip and sway with the food, like an ideal waltz partner.

Melissa Mills, a former journalist herself, knew little about wines before she met her husband. But, through him, she has learned that his wines reflect what happens in the vineyard.

"You can taste the changes with each vintage," Mills says. "What you taste is what we've experienced with the land. You have to be willing to adapt and accept what you are given - what Mother Nature gives you."

Recommendations

2004 Brick House Gamay Noir:
This wine has fragrant white pepper in the nose. Dark fruit dominate the flavors in the mouth, including black currant. This is a wine to serve at the holiday meal -had it with turkey and it was delish! $20

2005 Brick House "Select" Pinot Noir
This is a juicy, intense and silky wine with plum and black cherry in the mouth and a long finish. With organic wines, I do think you can taste the flavor of the growing location in this wine - it is an earthy Pinot. I would serve this with a wild mushroom pasta sauce and thick, crusty bread. $35

2003 Brick House Chardonnay
The winery makes small amounts of this wine and if it is sold out, this should be a heads up to get a good share of the 2004 Chardonnay coming out soon. This wine has crisp citrus smells and ripe apple fruit in the mouth with a hint of spice. I tried this with sauteed sea scallops in a light cream sauce and it brought out flavors in both the wine and the food.