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Abby Schultz | PENTA Magazine
Two years ago, Boris Champy left his role as estate manager for Clos des Lambrays, an esteemed Grand Cru in Burgundyโs Morey-Saint-Denis village of Cรดte de Nuits, to take an entrepreneurial turn in the hills above the town of Beaune.
Six-hundred feet above the center of Burgundy, Champy knew he could grow vines in Hautes-Cรดtes, an area that may not have the prestige of Cรดte de Nuits, but is cooler, giving him an edge as the climate changes and Burgundy warms.
As with most agricultural crops, vineyards around the world are experiencing the effects of climate change right now. In Burgundyโhome to revered, collectible wines such as Domaine de la Romanรฉe Conti, Domaine Leflaive, and Comte Georges de Vogรผรฉ โheat waves, drought, and frost in the past few years have caused some top estates to cut back on volume, giving Champyโs winesโfrom a less renowned regionโa chance to get attention.
โI hope consumers buy my wines because they like them, because the wines are good, but I also know the supply in Burgundy is very short and the supply is short because of climate change,โ Champy says.
Producers globally are working to ensure the quality of their wines as climate change sparks shifts in rainfall levels, temperature, and harvest dates. In premier wine regions of the worldโBurgundy, Champagne, and Bordeaux in France; Tuscany and Piedmont in Italy; Napa Valley in Californiaโreputations, and the big sums these wines can command, are at stake.
But there is no singular solution.
Winemakers such as Champy are moving to higher ground, but he is also growing Gamay and Aligotรฉโvarieties that are sanctioned within Burgundy, but are far less common. Experimenting with grape varieties that could potentially thrive in warmer climates while producing comparatively great wine is a route some wine regions are taking to adapt (see sidebar).
In Napa Valley, Dan Petroski, the winemaker at Larkmead Vineyards, monitors annual weather patterns. A few years ago he determined that a combination of newly planted vines, a stylistic choice to reduce sugar (and ultimately alcohol) levels, and increasingly hot days, meant he was picking grapes about three weeks earlier than when he started working at the winery in 2006.
One way Petroski has responded to climate change has been to implement sustainable practices in Larkmeadโs vineyards and winery, such as increasingly incorporating no-till farmingโa process that restores soil and reduces the release of carbonโand reducing water use in the cellar. There are also beehives on the property and solar panels on the winery roof. The land and winery are each certified by Napa Green, a nonprofit providing third-party certification of sustainable winemaking and grape-growing in the valley.
These efforts will help slow the effects of climate change, but they wonโt vanquish the hotter, drier days in Napa.
Near the city of Calistoga, where Larkmead sits, Petroski is planting a 3-acre plot with an array of grape varieties beyond the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot, that dominate his ethereal wines today. Heโs testing out Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, and Chenin Blancโwhich grew in the vineyards years agoโand Mediterranean varieties such as Touriga Nacional from Portugal and Tempranillo from Spain.
โThe last thing we can do under these conditions is wait it outโif we wait it out until 2040 to plant these things, weโre going to be in trouble,โ Petroski says.
But Rodrigo Soto, estate manager at Quintessa, located on 280 acres on the eastern edge of Napa Valleyโs Rutherford region, south of Calistoga, believes focusing on different grape varieties as a solution ignores the potential for plants to adapt. Instead of seeking out new plants, or new places, Quintessa, which makes deeply layered Bordeaux blends from its biodynamically farmed property, is exploring how it can change its vineyard practices to adapt to the changing environment and the changing needs of the vines.
โWe have a close relationship with our estateโwe donโt buy grapes, we work with the grapes that we grow,โ Soto says. โWhen you think like that, you realize you need to make it work.โ
One way Quintessa adapts to a searing-hot season is through vineyard management techniques, such as shifting the canopy of leaves growing on its vines. Leaving lateral sprouts to grow instead of cutting them back allows for extra shade on the grape clusters, says Rebekah Wineburg, Quintessaโs winemaker. When it comes time to replant, the winery may consider grafting vines onto rootstocks that may be more adaptable to the expected changes in climate.
To those who ask, will a warming climate spell ruin for the worldโs best wines? Adrian Bridge, CEO of major Portuguese wine producer Fladgate Partnership, demurs.
Consider that growing heat in Bordeaux, for example, gives Cabernet Sauvignon a better chance at reaching full ripeness, he says. โMaybe the best Bordeaux are the ones to come rather than ones that have been.โ
To Champy, all options for dealing with climate change should be considered.โYou work with temperature, you work with things living in the soil, with your roots, and for me, itโs what Darwin saysโitโs not the strongest or the smartest (who survive), itโs the most adaptable,โ he says. Above all, โwe have to become better farmers.โ
This article appeared in the September 2021 issue of Penta magazine
About Napa Green: The Napa Green 501c3 is a global leader in sustainable winegrowing, setting the highest bar for sustainability and climate action in the wine industry. Napa Green facilitates whole system soil to bottle certification for wineries and vineyards, and provides the expertise, boots-on-the-ground support, and resources to continually improve. Learn more atย https://napagreen.org/participating-members/.
Anna Brittain
Napa Green
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Cheers to Climate Smart Wines Month is back this July and we couldnโt be more excited!
We have built some truly fabulous and sustainable experiences which you can find on www.napagreen.org and this year we have included hotels as well!
Tag us in your posts when you visit our amazing Napa Green Certified wineries so we can share your Green adventures!
Team Green is thoroughly enjoying visiting a few of our Napa Green Certified wineries today! ๐ฑ
Pictured here are the STUNNING new Sky Lofts at @rutherfordhillwinery. We strongly recommend a visit, itโs spectacular!
Wondering what this sign hung outside of the winery that you work at means? Want to be able to talk more about what it means to be @napagreen certified??
Join the Napa Green Ambassador training at Clos du Val on Wednesday, June 25 from 9-11 am to learn the answers and more.
Tickets are free but space is limited so reserve your spot from the Workshops & Events link in our bio.
#climateaction #napagreen #napagreencertified #climatesmartwinery #regenerativeag #regenerativefarming
๐ Do you want to learn more about what it means to be a Napa Green Certified Vineyard or Winery?
๐ Do you have new team members who still arenโt sure what that Napa Green Certified sign hanging out front actually means?
๐ Are you curious about this term thatโs suddenly popping up everywhere โ regenerative?
๐ Want to know what exactly does it mean to be climate smart?
Join us Wednesday, June 25, 2025 @closduval to learn how to talk about being @napapagreen certified.
Use the event link in our bio to register.
#climateaction #wineindustry #wineindustryleadership #climatesmart #sustainablewine #sustainablewinery #regenerativevineyard #regenerativeag
๐ข Attn Wineries!! Today is last day to sign up for the Cheers to Climate Smart Wines this July!
Email winery@napagreen.org to sign up today!
Thank you all for making RISE Climate & Wine Symposium a success! We 70 powerful speakers and 650 guests across the six events, dozens of commitments to action, and a flood of positive, heartfelt feedback.
Letโs keep the momentum going!
๐ธ: @briana_marie
Congratulations to Napa Green Certified @cliffamily for winning the RISE Leadership Award for Supply Chain & Waste Management Excellence!
Clif Family attended our first conference & committed to reducing their bottle weight and waste. They set upon an inspiring journey to change their packaging based on their outdoors loving and mountaineering inspired founders. They were able to..
โข lighten the weight of a case of their wine by almost 8 lbs!
โข reduce their carbon output by 42 metric tons!
โข institute fully recyclable, bio based shippers that keep wine cool!
โข eliminate all foils!
โข eliminate all plastic & metal moving fully to renewable cork enclosures!
Their customers responded with absolute enthusiasm.
โThis story is not just about wine packaging or supply chain decisions. Itโs about how we do business. Itโs leading with values. Itโs about remembering that the best way to climb higher.. is to carry less.โ - Sarah Richmond, Clif Family Winery.
Take action this Earth Month with Napa Green. Our team of experts is ready to assist you in achieving your climate action goals for both your vineyard and winery, no matter where you are in your sustainability journey.
๐ฅ @robot_productions
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๐ดWednesday April, 23rd is the day NOT to miss lunch at @cliffamily!!
Come enjoy delicious food while supporting Napa Green! See you there.
Uniquely, Napa Green isnโt just a roadmap of leading practices. Napa Green provides an expert, boots-on-the-ground consulting team that develops:
โ
Regenerative Carbon Farm Plans (to enhance soil health, biodiversity, resilience, and carbon storage)
โ
Irrigation Distribution Uniformity Assessments (to maximize water efficiency)
โ
Integrated Resource Assessments (to reduce energy, water, waste and emissions in production)
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Action Plans for continuing improvement (tailored to the opportunities and goals of each vineyard or winery)
Additionally, we support soil sampling and analysis, provide resource assistance, run practical training and education workshops throughout the year, and provide valuable, hands-on guidance in meeting your climate action goals.
โ
Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with โ21 Days, 21 Waysโ counting down to Earth Day.
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๐ @tressabores
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Napa Greenโs vineyard team is trained to develop regenerative, whole-farm Carbon Farm Plans (CFPs). These plans review all of the current beneficial practices that are increasing soil and ecosystem health and storing carbon, and identify additional opportunities to regenerate the soil and vineyard ecosystem and simultaneously maximize carbon capture in a given property. Each vineyardโs goal is to become carbon neutral (or negative) and increase the resilience of vineyards, businesses, and our community.
โ
Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with โ21 Days, 21 Waysโ counting down to Earth Day.
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๐ @tressabores
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Clear pathways for employee advancement are essential for a thriving workforce and driving success. They boost retention, job satisfaction, productivity, and attract top talent. Napa Green Certified members develop pathways for growth, discussing career goals and progress with employees during reviews.
โ
Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with โ21 Days, 21 Waysโ counting down to Earth Day.
๐ท @briana_marie
๐ @dominusestatewinery
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Forests are not only our largest terrestrial carbon sink, they are also home to 80% of the worldโs on-land diversity. We need healthy forests, which means a balanced density of native trees and plants. Healthy forests experience lower intensity fires with less tree mortality, meaning higher carbon retention and ecosystem function.
โ
Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with โ21 Days, 21 Waysโ counting down to Earth Day.
๐ท @abrittain
๐ @seaveyvineyard
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Napa Green Certified Wineries benefit from an on-site Integrated Resource Assessment (IRA) led by our experienced engineers and winemakers. This IRA evaluates resource metrics, monitors progress, and identifies areas for improvement to increase efficiency and save $$$.
โ
Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with โ21 Days, 21 Waysโ counting down to Earth Day.
๐ @materrawines
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness
All of our members are committed to using at least 60% renewable energy, whether through on-site solar and other renewable sources or by working with @mcecleanenergy to access clean power through the grid. The impact? Over 1.2 million pounds of CO2e saved by wineries and vineyards in just one year. To put that into perspective itโs the equivalent to offsetting the emissions from driving over 1.5 million miles in a typical gas-powered car!
โ
Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with โ21 Days, 21 Waysโ counting down to Earth Day.
๐ท @love.dream.breathe
๐ @corisonwinery
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As part of their commitment to sustainability, Napa Green Certified Winery members collaborate with key suppliers and utilize their purchasing power to support eco-friendly practices. In the same way, we can make a difference at home by choosing materials made from post-consumer recycled materials, and selecting reusable, recyclable, compostable, biodegradable, and non-toxic products.
โ
Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with โ21 Days, 21 Waysโ counting down to Earth Day.
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness #greenpurchasing #supplychain
