Optimiste has grown beyond its vineyard roots into a layered, living farm shaped by “enterprise stacking,” where vines, livestock, and landscape work in quiet harmony. This evolution has strengthened resilience, diversified income, and deepened our connection to the land.

Guided by sustainability’s triple bottom line, we farm with care and intention. Rotational grazing, balanced stocking, smart irrigation, and minimal synthetic inputs are some of the systems that ground our business while nurturing biodiversity through native trees, bees, and orchard plantings.

Farming ethics

Our farming is guided by the intention to leave the land in a condition better than we found it.

A landscape with rolling hills, trees, and a double rainbow in a cloudy sky.
Farmer driving tractor at sunset in a rural field.
Person harvesting apples from a tall apple tree in a field with dry grass, under a cloudy sky.

Balance

Our journey into livestock began in 2008 with White Dorper sheep, chosen for their hardiness and natural instincts. They move through vineyard rows in winter, tending the land as they graze. In 2020, Poll Hereford cattle joined the system, bringing balance through complementary grazing.

Through seasons of abundance and hardship, we adapt with the land, always with an eye to the future, striving to leave behind a farm that is healthier, more productive, and ready for generations yet to come.

A cow and a calf standing in a green field at sunset with hills and power lines in the background.