napa green vineyard Certification standards

NAPA GREEN CERTIFIED VINEYARD

REGENERATING CARBON, CLIMATE, AND COMMUNITY

The Napa Green Vineyard program is the first sustainable winegrowing certification to focus specifically on climate action, regenerative farming, and social equity, justice and inclusion. Napa Green Vineyard certification provides a pathway for growers to improve soil health, become carbon neutral to negative within six to nine years, and increase the resilience of vineyards, businesses, and our community.

The Napa Green Vineyard certification standards have six core elements:

  • Social Equity, Justice and Inclusion standards that incorporate direct input and feedback from farmworkers
  • Implementing Carbon Farming and Regenerative practices
  • Irrigation Assessments and Water Use efficiency
  • Tree & Forest Preservation and Enhancement (where applicable)
  • Adherence to a Prohibited & Restricted Pesticides list
  • Conservation Burning or Burning Alternatives
These standards encompass more of the property and ecosystem than ever before – from what is happening underground in the soil, to what is happening in the atmosphere, to how this impacts the broader community.

Element I - Social Equity, Justice, and Inclusion

From the top-down businesses need to recognize and acknowledge inclusion and diversity as an enabler of growth. Research has shown that companies that have greater workplace diversity outperform their competitors and achieve higher profits. Committing to diversity and inclusion isn’t just right, or good for morale, it actually contributes to business success and longevity.
Element I

Element II - CARBON FARM PLAN AND REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE

Domestically, agriculture accounts for 10.5% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Carbon farming and regenerative agriculture refers to practices that not only reduce emissions but actually increase Soil Organic Matter (SOM) and store, or sequester, more carbon in the soil. Carbon is a core indicator of soil health, making it an essential part of ecosystem management in vineyards.
Element II

ELEMENT III - IRRIGATION ASSESSMENTS AND WATER EFFICIENCY

Water is not only dripping in the vineyard; it is also flowing in the winery. While no water is added to wine it takes a lot of water to clean tanks, barrels and other equipment. Imagine the mess during harvest and crush! Napa Green baselines and tracks the water use of all of our members, with an emphasis on the connections between water, energy, and the bottom line.
Element III

ELEMENT IV - TREE/FOREST PRESERVATION AND ENHANCEMENT

While both reforestation and preserving existing healthy forests and trees are important, the latter provides immediate and significant carbon storage over the next 10-20 years, a critical period when we still have the chance to forestall catastrophic climate change. Several young seedlings will take decades to store as much carbon as a single mature oak, pine or other native tree.
Element IV

ELEMENT V - PROHIBITED AND RESTRICTED PESTICIDES LIST

Napa Green has a list of 56 Prohibited Pesticides (Red Light) and 12 Restricted Pesticides (Yellow Light). Napa Green Vineyard is a stepping stone to organic farming, but does not require organic practices. The Vineyard certification includes an optional “Gold Level” tier that provides added recognition for growers who are synthetic Herbicide- and Neonicotinoid-free.

Element V

ELEMENT VI - CONSERVATION BURNING AND BURN ALTERNATIVES

Conservation burning is the minimum Napa Green Vineyard required method to burn pulled vines and other non-treated wood “waste.” Chipping and reuse for mulch and dust suppression is acceptable, but it important to note that wood chips gradually release most of their stored carbon, while conservation burning re-fossilizes wood to create biochar that can store carbon for hundreds or even 1,000’s of years. This section also outlines other regionally available alternatives that produce even less smoke and GHG emissions, and produce more biochar (e.g., flame-cap kilns and air curtain burners).
Element VI