Napa-Valley-Vitners

Ask the Vintners: Questions about Napa Green

We all care about the quality of life in Napa Valley and want to be good stewards of our land and environment. This month’s Ask the Vintners column explores the Napa Green environmental certification program for local vineyards and wineries, one of the ways the wine community is working to preserve Napa Valley for future generations.

What is Napa Green?

Napa Green is a comprehensive environmental certification program for vineyards and wineries in Napa Valley. It’s one of the most comprehensive environmental accreditations in the wine industry. The program takes a soil to bottle approach, integrating sustainable management practices at every step of the winemaking process. Napa Green Land and Winery owners are independently certified by third-party entities.

What is the difference between Napa Green Land and Napa Green Winery?

The Land program works with fish friendly farming, LandSmart and Napa Valley property owners to assess their whole parcel and develop a custom farm plan. Each plan must meet and exceed environmental compliance requirements, reduce soil loss and preserve and restore sensitive habitats.

The winery program works with producers to help them understand their water and energy use and waste management. Each participant receives an audit and detailed report to help them conserve resource use at their facility.

How did Napa Green get started?

In 1998 the Environmental Protection Agency declared the Napa River impaired and the State Water Board set reduction standards for “Total Maximum Daily Load” or TMDL of fine sediment into the river. In response, vintners, growers and environmental leaders representing more than 20 nonprofits and regulatory agencies worked in partnership to develop Napa Green Certified Land. The first property was certified in 2004.

In 2007, building on the success of the Land program, the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) collaborated with Napa County and the California Green Business Program to develop the Napa Green Certified Winery program, creating a comprehensive, soil to bottle sustainability certification.

Is Napa Green a program of the Napa Valley Vintners?

The NVV helped develop the Napa Green program and is one of its greatest champions, but it is a collaborative effort and all certifications are completed by independent, third-party entities. In support of its commitment to the program, in 2015 the NVV set a goal that all its eligible members (those who own more than 5 acres of vineyard, a winery or both) will be in the program by the end of 2020. To date more than 50 percent of NVV members are in Napa Green.

What has the program achieved so far?

There are more than 70,000 acres in the Napa Green Land program and 45,000 total acres have been certified. More than half of Napa County’s vineyard acreage is Napa Green Land Certified. This represents 23,000 vineyard acres across nearly 400 properties. Roughly 150 miles of year-round creeks and rivers have been evaluated and improved.

On the winery side, more than 60 Napa County wineries are Napa Green Winery Certified and an additional 60 are pending certification.

What does this mean for local residents?

Napa Green builds on the history of land stewardship by Napa Valley vintners and growers. This history includes, in part:

  • The Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve, the first of its kind in the U.S., this year celebrating its 50th anniversary.
  • Nearly 90 percent of Napa County is under permanent or high levels of protection from development, thanks to the Ag Preserve, land conserved in perpetuity by the Land Trust of Napa County and numerous other regulations that protect our environment.
  • Miles of the Napa River and creeks that feed into it have been restored through public-private partnerships, including grape growers giving up valuable vineyard acreage, to preserve and enhance our waterways and riparian habitats.

If I’m a wine lover, where do I learn more?

A fun way to learn more about the program is by visiting some Napa Green Certified producers. Find wine tasting itineraries and get general information about the program at napagreen.org. Ask the Vintners is a monthly column written by the Napa Valley Vintners nonprofit association. Submit your questions to ask@napavintners.com and learn more at napavintners.com.

Napa Green Facts

  • Napa Green was started in the late 1990s by more than 20 industry and environmental groups, along with government agencies, looking to improve the quality of the Napa River.
  • The first Napa Green Land Certification was in 2004 and the first Napa Green Winery Certification was 2008.
  • Today, more than 70,000 acres in Napa County are in the Land program.
  • Half of all Napa County vineyard acreage is Napa Green Certified.
  • More than 60 wineries are Napa Green Certified and an additional 60 are pending certification.
  • The NVV is more than halfway to meeting its goal that all eligible members will be in the program by 2020.

Making the commitment to third party certification takes time and effort, but it is worth it to demonstrate our commitment to the community and to protect our watershed, our land and the air we breathe.​

Say hi to @marisataylorwines, our Winery & Climate Specialist. Marisa has supported sustainable farming and green practices from vineyard to cellar and across all winemaking operations and continues to leverage her expertise to help wineries become climate action champions. 

Thanks for all you do!
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Last week we had a great climate smart burn and alternatives demonstration @gloriaferrerwinery where attendees learned techniques for a conservation/low-smoke burn with demonstrations from @thecleanburncompany and @napa.char. 

Additionally, speakers from @naparcd and Treasury Wine Estates presented the results from a recent vineyard biochar application research project. 

Learn more on our website.
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Have you met Sierra, our Climate & Soil Specialist? Sierra works tirelessly to advance climate resiliency in the Napa Valley by collaborating with growers to realize their climate action aspirations. 

Say hi to @growresiliently next time you see her in the field. Thanks for all that you do, Sierra!
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On average 40-60% of a vineyard and winery’s carbon footprint is from packaging and distribution alone. Join us to explore climate smart, sustainable glass, closures, the future of reusable glass, alternative packaging. Hear case studies. Learn what is truly recyclable, and new opportunities to recycle film wrap and label backing. Since 2020, climate smart marketed CPG products have doubled in sales to $3.4 billion. Wine bottles and packaging can be leveraged to meet rising consumer demand for climate smart products.

Get tickets to this workshop @pineridgewine to hear from @napagreen @consciouscontainer @revinobottles @keystonecapsules @cork_supply @neotempowines @estal_packaging @uppervalleydisposal @naparecycling and more!
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You may have seen Megan, our Winery Program Manager, out and about sporting her @napagreen shirt and talking about green practices. Utilizing her background in hospitality, sustainability and engineering she is dedicated in guiding businesses toward a more sustainable future. 

Thanks for all you do @love.dream.breathe!
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Join us for All Things Bottle Sustainability on Friday, April 26th. Link in bio to register!
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Cheers to @abrittain! Anna has worked locally, nationally and internationally on environmental management, including leading @napagreen and @naparise to the forefront of the wine industry climate action movement. 

Keep an eye out for her with our unofficial mascot, Lily, sharing our best practices, facilitating action and growing resilience in our industry and community. 

Thank you for all you do!
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We’re so pleased to announce Verallia as a new Napa Green Sponsor and excited to see their work in creating lighter sparkling wine glass bottles with Napa Green Champion @domainecarneros! 

For more info on Verallia head to the link in our profile and for more info on becoming a Napa Green Sponsor email: social@napagreen.org 🥂
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We’ve had so much fun hosting and being out at events this March! It was great seeing you all at our Cutilvating Resilience Salon and Celebrate St. Helena event at @crockerstarr! 

We’re just getting warmed up because you know what next month is.. EARTH MONTH! 🌎🌱

Can’t wait to see more friendly faces celebrating our beautiful planet in April. Cheers! 🥂
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Join us for a not to be missed dinner experience. Only 20 guests in attendance will be looking out over the infinity pool at Neotempo’s organic vineyard, and the beautiful view of the Vaca Mountains beyond. Award-winning Chef Dave Cruz previously of Ad Hoc, will prepare a four-course, locally-sourced dinner paired with Cristal Louis Roederer Champagne and spectacular Neotempo wines. 

You will have the chance to share transformative conversations and form deep connections with industry leaders and changemakers. Special guest Karen MacNeil will share insights on “All Things Bottle Sustainability.” 

This will be, truly, unforgettable.

Claim your tax deductible tickets for April 26th asap and support local climate action. Information may be found at the link in our profile.
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Expedition Stags Leap! 🥾🍷

This is the way to our hearts! Plan your visit to Napa Green Certified winery @pineridgewine to taste the quality and learn all about climate smart practices in both the winery and vineyard! 

#stagsleap #napavalley #cabernet #regenerativeagriculture #winereels
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See and learn the technique for a conservation/low-smoke burn. Join us tomorrow for this no cost event at @gloriaferrerwinery! 

The Clean Burn Company and Napachar will run their BurnBoss air curtain burner and flame-capped kiln/ring-of-fire system for processing spent vines, fire fuel thinning, and other wood waste. All three of these techniques/technologies can be used to develop biochar. 

Michael Sippiora from Treasury Wine Estates will present the results of a recent vineyard biochar application research project.

Link in profile to register, see you tomorrow!
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In loving memory of the legendary Miljenko ‘Mike’ Grgich.
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Thank you to all who came out for our Weed Management event! For more info check out our online Weed Management Toolkit with FAQ’s, Case Studies, Resources and more. 

🌱🚜
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Cultivating Resilience in Napa Valley 🍷

A few tickets remain for the event THIS Thursday, March 14th at 3:00pm. Join Winemaker @matt_brain_, @cathycorison, @bedrockwines & @andrearobinsonms for a lively and interactive tasting of barrel samples and panel discussion. 

🎟️ Click the link in our profile to reserve your seat now.
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Join us THIS Thursday, March 14th for a panel on Cultivating Resilience with @cathycorison, @bedrockmorgan, @matt_brain_ & @andrearobinsonms. 

The event is held at @freemarkabbey and begins at 3:00pm. Please get your tickets ASAP at the link in our profile. See you there!
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