Image Courtesy of Napa Green Why Napa Green’s Glyphosate Ban is Such a Big Deal Last month, Napa Green, a sustainable wine-growing certification for Napa Valley vineyards, announced that members must phase out the use of the herbicide glyphosate, the active ingredient in popular weed killer Roundup. By 2026, the 90 wineries overseen by the nonprofit […]

The vineyards at Spottswoode Winery in Napa in 2016. The winery is among a handful of growers that has phased out its use of synthetic herbicides. Gabrielle Lurie/Special to The Chronicle Roundup products for sale at a hardware store in San Rafael. A Napa nonprofit that ceritfies sustainable wineries hopes to phase out the controversial […]

Why Aren’t More Wineries Using Climate-Friendly Bottles? Earlier this year at a dinner with many witnesses, I pledged to do something more to help fight climate change. I blame the Napa RISE organizers and the dinner hosts, JeanCharles Boisset and Gina Gallo, for this moment of clarity. What I did afterward was start a personal research project. It’s […]

Future 40 Tastemakers 2023 If there is one theme that unites this year’s Future 40 honorees across their many categories, it is advocacy—in every sense of the word. Advocacy for including people of all backgrounds in an industry that is struggling to find its footing in appealing beyond a traditional base as well as advocacy […]

The snow-covered Dunn Vineyards winery on Howell Mountain northeast of St. Helena in February 2023. Courtesy of Randy Dunn Water use still major concern, despite historic rainfall ST. HELENA — While the recent atmospheric rivers may have brought some relief to drought-ridden California, a leading water expert explained why the months of deluge will not […]

New regulations mean that ESG scores could impact large retailers’ stocking decisions or a winery’s ability to secure bank loans. Photo credit: iStock Anna Brittain, the cofounder of Napa Green, speaking at Napa Thrives. Photo credit: Paige Comrie. The energy-efficient Spottswoode winery belongs to and supports various organizations with a focus on environmentalism. Photo credit: […]

Sustainability Across the Travel Journey Sharing lessons and best practices across the industry is a key step to ensure travel is a net good. To ensure travel remains a net good, sustainability must be integrated into the entire travel journey. While travel enables improved global collaboration, cultural understanding, and socio-economic benefits, reducing its environmental impact is […]

The Economics of Sustainability w/ Anna Brittain, Napa Green As designer and Executive Director of sustainability non-profit Napa Green, Anna Brittain is passionate about taking action on the 7 pillars of sustainability. Spreading the word about how pursuing sustainability can save money is critical. Anna describes how she defines the 7 pillars of sustainability, what makes Napa […]

Tod Mostero, director of viticulture and winemaking at Dominus Estate, led a Dry Farming Mentorship workshop at the first Napa THRIVES conference in June. Submitted photo The Climate Connection: A report from Napa THRIVES If not here, where? Napa County can and should be the wine industry leader in sustainability and climate action. Our region […]

Napa Thrives Kicks Off June 7: A Six-Event Sustainability Symposium So many people in the wine business debate whether or not it is profitable to farm organically.  With only about 3 percent of wine grape vines in California (and the U.S.) certified organic, the U.S. has been quite far behind its counterparts in France, Italy […]

Video by Agnes Walton and Kristopher Knight Ms. Walton is a producer for Opinion video. Mr. Knight is an editor and filmmaker. New Climate Promises, Same Old Global Warming In what seems like a rapid shift of gears, corporations are finally jumping into action on climate change. Or that’s what they’d like us to believe. Many of the […]

Land to Market label marking / Image courtesy of Mariah Vineyards Image courtesy of Mariah Vineyards Image courtesy of Hedges Family Estate The Science, Ethics, and Spirituality of Regenerative Farming The regenerative farming movement appears to finally be reaching critical mass with consumers increasingly demanding sustainably produced wine. By 2030, the organic wine market will […]

Napa Thrives’ Green Energy Workshop: Accelerating Progress on Solar, Southern Glazer’s Sustainability Ramps Up A panel of four experts highlighted some of the hottest topics in energy conservation and carbon emission reductions in St. Helena at a Napa Green event held June 9. The panelists recommended taking specific actions to address climate change–adopting LEDs, rightsizing solar energy, […]

Featuring Bill McKibben, Jancis Robinson, Eric Asimov, Nikki Silvestri and other Leaders in Climate Action and Wine Education Napa Thrives Kicks Off June 7: A Six-Event Sustainability Symposium June 7-23, Napa, CA – This month Napa Green and community partners are hosting Napa THRIVES – a groundbreaking symposium with six half-day, tightly focused events organized around the six pillars of […]

Napa Green Set to Launch Napa THRIVES: A Six-Event Symposium Featuring Leaders in Sustainability & Climate Action Napa, CA – During the month of June, Napa Green and community partners will host Napa THRIVES – a groundbreaking series of six half-day, tightly focused events organized around the six pillars of sustainable winegrowing leadership. Unfolding at the historic Charles Krug Winery, […]

WineInk: Sustainability standards in the wine industry I was in Four Dogs Wine and Spirits looking for a bottle of a particular California Chardonnay, when I heard a woman behind me ask the wine guy, “Can you help me find some organic wines? I need to make a change.” What a refreshing request. The wine […]

The Opus One Green Team, from left, back, Nathalie Jure Buckland, Daniela Krueger-Franco, Michael Silacci, Chris Lynch, Allie Russell, Mike Morrison, Angela Muscarella, Morgan Tageson, Jose Hernandez, Marina Acuna, Juana Odilia Casas, Inocencio Casas and Susan Mitchell. Photo by Briana Forgie Eloy Paniagua adds brush to the AirBurner BurnBoss. Submitted Photo The Climate Connection: One […]

Photo courtesy of Cade Winery Julie Johnson, Tres Sabores Photo courtesy of Opus One Photo courtesy of Spottswoode Estate Winery Photo courtesy of Carneros Resort and Spa The Ethical Cellar Goes To Napa Deborah Grayson and Jonathan Russo went to Napa to learn how some of the world’s most remarkable organic wineries are finding creative […]

Napa Green, a nonprofit organization, has launched a next-level Napa Green Vineyard certification, the first sustainable winegrowing certification to focus specifically on climate action, regenerative farming and social equity and justice. Napa Wineries Are Seeing Green Napa Green, a nonprofit organization, has launched a next-level Napa Green Vineyard certification, the first sustainable winegrowing certification to […]

Trefethen Family Vineyards Partners with Earthly Labs on Carbon Capture for the Wine Industry Trefethen Family Vineyards, one of Napa Valley’spioneering family-owned estate wineries, and Earthly Labs today announced a pilot project focused on capturing carbon dioxide emitted from the winery’s fermentations. Trefethen is the first winery to install Earthly Labs® CiCi® carbon capture technology […]

A red-tailed hawk perches by a chardonnay vineyard near the Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area. (Photo by Andrew A. Lincoln, @alincoln_photo) Humboldt State graduate student Jaime Carlino bands a barn owl nestling. (Photo by Laura Echávez) Humboldt State graduate student Samantha Chavez extracts an adult female barn owl from a nest box. (Photo by Laura Echávez) […]

For a region that’s only 30 miles long and a few miles wide, California’s Napa Valley has an iconic reputation for producing some of the finest wines in the world. Photo: Courtesy Napa Valley Vintners The Napa Valley — elegant and sophisticated wines for every palate The Napa Valley AVA is located in Northern California, […]

Newton Vineyard Receives Organic Certification for Three Estate Vineyards CCOF Grants Certified Status to Properties in Spring Mountain, Mt. Veeder and Carneros St. Helena, Napa Valley, Sept. 16, 2021 — Newton Vineyard is proud to announce that California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) has granted certified organic status to Newton’s three estate vineyards. Newton’s historic Spring Mountain […]

Sustainable Wine Roundtable founded to fight climate change A coalition of leading wine brands, small producers, distributors, retailers and environmental organisations has been created to accelerate sustainable action in the wine industry. The international wine community has come together to fight climate change, with the aim to create a global standard on sustainability in the […]

O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, Trinchero Family Estates, Shannon Ridge Family of Wines, Boisset Collection Named Green Medal Winners June 30th – SAN FRANCISCO — Four California wineries and vintners were named Green Medal winners recognizing a commitment to sustainability in Leader, Business, Environment and Community categories. The California wine community is a global leader in sustainability, […]

Linsey Gallagher is the President and CEO of Visit Napa Valley, the official destination management organization for Napa County. Visit NapaValleySpirit.com to learn more about opportunities to play tourist in your own backyard.Bob McClenahan photo Sustainable travel is key to Napa Valley’s greener future One positive trend from the past year is a renewed global […]

New Napa Green Vineyard Certification Sets Leading Industry Standard for Climate Action, Regenerative Farming, and Social Equity (Napa Valley, CA, June 2nd, 2021) — The Napa Green nonprofit is launching a next-level Napa Green Vineyard certification, the first sustainable winegrowing certification to focus specifically on climate action, regenerative farming, and social equity and justice. Napa […]

Cover crops provide many benefits and can have important effects on vineyard balance and vine vigor. The Climate Connection: Napa Green takes on the Climate Challenge Vintner Julie Johnson has been learning about and using regenerative farming practices at Tres Sabores winery and vineyards for more than 30 years. These practices include planting cover crops […]

Beth Novak Milliken The birds at Spotswoode vineyards Bouchaine vineyards Bouchaine vineyards Spotswoode vineyards in Napa Valley Winemaker Chris Kajani working Bouchaine vineyards. Wine Ink: Wine and Earth Day Two Napa Wineries Celebrate “Everything we put into the soil goes into the vine. Then it goes into the grape. And then into the wines and […]