Menu
Martin is an international wine consultant, winemaker, importer, educator, and frequent speaker and moderator recognized for his expertise in sustainability. As cofounder and copresident of the nonprofit diversity initiative Wine Unify, a cofounder of RISE Climate & Wine Symposium, and a first-generation American and the first Master of Wine of Mexican descent, and one of Wine Enthusiast’s 2015 “Top 40 under 40 Tastemakers,” Martin is definitely in the know about wine.
As someone who lives south of all the Napa magic, I’ll succumb to bias and suggest you start your adventure at a winery that’s both geographically and emotionally close to me. Nestled along the southernmost Napa portion of Highway 29, RD Winery sneaks up on you before you’ve even reached Napa. For several years I made wines at RD and watched and admired how the inspiring and thoughtful Mailynh Phan, the first Vietnamese CEO of a California winery, has led the growth of RD. She and her team have quietly created something special here. The Vietnamese-inspired tasting room is ample and aesthetically rewarding, but you can also enjoy their small-lot lineup on their handsome, sun-dappled patio. As you savor these delectably honest wines, don’t be surprised if you begin to feel like you are in on a secret, slipping into that coveted sense of being ‘in the know’ with a twist: a complete absence of snobbery.
Naturally, remember to ask your tasting host about RD Winery’s 360 commitment to being a Napa Green Certified Winery, which includes… while strongly emphasizing social equity. Finally, before you leave, do yourself a favor and enjoy a contemplative stroll through its botanically bitchin’ grounds. RD Winery feels like a cork in a haystack. They aren’t just fermenting grapes; they’re cultivating a refreshing approach to Napa wine culture that is relaxed, inclusive, and accessible. In fact, it’s plainly stated in their motto, “Making wine for every table.” I hope you welcome them on your table.
Darn right, there is an actual —and beautiful—grove of 200 ft tall Sequoias. Isn’t that enough to visit? No, seriously, if your love for nature mirrors your passion for wine then you can’t miss soaking up the energy of the wines and the trees at Sequoia Grove. A four-decade-long fixture on the famed Hwy 29, smack in the middle of wildly famous neighbors, Sequoia Grove shares intelligent, stimulating wines. As if that weren’t enough, the hospitality crew has garnered some rocking street cred, having been named “People’s Choice” for best tasting room by Napa Valley Life Magazine for several years. Their innovative tasting lineup changes every few months, never straying from an inviting educational air. Indeed, a recent “ditch the pairing rules” theme caught my eye. But whatever you do, don’t forget to stroll into the fairy ring.
The winery also boasts sustainability cred… Sequoia Grove knows what matters: a return to the joy of gathering around food and wine framed by preservation and celebration of the natural world. The winery’s approach to sustainability is not just lip service; it is a heartfelt story that will resonate with anyone who visits.
This long-revered sparkling producer, nestled in the forested foothills of Diamond Mountain, should be on your bucket list if you haven’t visited. This is true especially if you think Champagne has a monopoly on breathtaking sparklers. In fact, I’ve been to enough double-blind tastings where Schramsberg bests some of the top Champagnes, that the qualitative question is settled for me. So, let’s discuss the bucket. Offering both an adorned tasting room visit or a cave tour experience, Schramsberg is a perfect place to end your day. If you opt for the cave tour, you’re in for a visual treat. Instead of familiar rows of barrels, you’ll walk through beautiful, labyrinthian tunnels (the oldest wine caves in the Napa Valley) lined floor to ceiling with millions (yes, millions) of bottles, sometimes stacked 12 or 15 rows deep! it’s as if you’ve been transported to Epernay after all. The tasting staff is knowledgeable while conveying a refined, timeless experience; the wines complete the magic by seeming to whisk you away to a different era.
Speaking of time, the Davies family has a long and deep history of sustainable commitments; their efforts are myriad and hard to summarize in a short paragraph, but they include water and energy efficiency, solar renewable energy, comprehensive recycling, and organic and regenerative farming practices.
Before you go, a word of advice: Be sure to make a reservation. Schramsberg can only accommodate a limited number of guests each week and fills up fast. This is not a revolving door visit; each group is given ample time and attention. It’s all part of the intimate, curated experience. Then again, isn’t that how you prefer to enjoy a wine country experience? Thoughtful experiences require thoughtful planning. Enjoy.
Martin Reyes, MW | Partner, WineWise Importer
A first-generation American, Martin has held influential roles in many sectors of the wine industry since 2002: wine director, importer, educator, international judge, winemaker, climate activist, and writer. His wine story began with an over-indulgent Parisian dinner as a Stanford undergrad; soon he was stocking shelves at his local wine wine shop. In 2011, Martin became the principal buyer for national wine club programs including The New York Times, Food & Wine Magazine, Williams-Sonoma and was named one of Wine Enthusiast’s Top Forty under Forty Tastemakers in 2015. After working harvest at Solomon Undhof in 2016, he became the winemaker for Sonoma-based Peter Paul Wines for seven years.
Highlights from Martin’s multifarious career include: becoming the first Master of Wine of Mexican descent in 2018, winning Best Paper at Vienna’s 2019 AAWE Conference for his research in consumer purchasing behavior, twice producing one of Wine & Spirits Magazine’s “US Best Cabernets” under the Peter Paul Wines aegis, and twice being named one of Wine Business Monthly’s Industry Leaders for co-founding Wine Unify, empowering diversity, equity, and inclusion in wine, and co-founding Napa RISE – a groundbreaking, community-driven symposium accelerating meaningful sustainability and climate action leadership in Napa County. In 2022, Martin became a Partner at WineWise, a well-respected importer responsible for bringing producers like Lopez de Heredia, Filipa Pato, and Tissot into the California market.
During his spare time, Martin occasionally writes (his work has been featured in JancisRobinson.com and Napa Valley Viticultural Society’s Journal), co-hosts the James Beard-award winning FourTop podcast on the culture and future of our industry, judges for several international competitions, attempts to become fluent in a fifth language, and unfortunately for dinner guests, is an incorrigible purveyor of dad humor.
Fairy tale like settings? Delicious, ethically & sustainably produced wines? Yes please! 🌸
#visitnapavalley #napavalley #fairytale #winetasting #sustainablewine #cheers #winelovers #winetrip #magicmoments
🎞️: @mvino1
🎟️$15 wine tasting with the winemakers!? Join us at @klwines in San Francisco July 23rd & 24th tasting @spottswoodewinery, @dominusestatewinery, @chimneyrockwinery, @etudewines and many more from 4:00-6:00pm.
Pick up your tickets asap at the link in our bio!
⭐️ Steal this itinerary!
Cheers to Climate Smart Wines Month is back this July and we couldn’t 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! 🌱
Pictured here are the STUNNING new Sky Lofts at @rutherfordhillwinery. We strongly recommend a visit, it’s 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
🍇 Do you want to learn more about what it means to be a Napa Green Certified Vineyard or Winery?
🍇 Do you have new team members who still aren’t sure what that Napa Green Certified sign hanging out front actually means?
🍇 Are you curious about this term that’s suddenly popping up everywhere – regenerative?
🍇 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
📢 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.
Let’s keep the momentum going!
📸: @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..
• lighten the weight of a case of their wine by almost 8 lbs!
• reduce their carbon output by 42 metric tons!
• institute fully recyclable, bio based shippers that keep wine cool!
• eliminate all foils!
• eliminate all plastic & metal moving fully to renewable cork enclosures!
Their customers responded with absolute enthusiasm.
“This story is not just about wine packaging or supply chain decisions. It’s about how we do business. It’s leading with values. It’s about remembering that the best way to climb higher.. is to carry less.” - 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.
🎥 @robot_productions
#earthday #earthdayeveryday #earthmonth #climateaction #sustainabilty #climatesmart #regenerativeag
🍴Wednesday 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 isn’t just a roadmap of leading practices. Napa Green provides an expert, boots-on-the-ground consulting team that develops:
✅ Regenerative Carbon Farm Plans (to enhance soil health, biodiversity, resilience, and carbon storage)
✅ Irrigation Distribution Uniformity Assessments (to maximize water efficiency)
✅ Integrated Resource Assessments (to reduce energy, water, waste and emissions in production)
✅ 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.
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
📷 @buddsocial
📍 @tressabores
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness
Napa Green’s 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 vineyard’s goal is to become carbon neutral (or negative) and increase the resilience of vineyards, businesses, and our community.
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
📷 @soilrainandhope
📍 @tressabores
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness
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.
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
📷 @briana_marie
📍 @dominusestatewinery
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness
Forests are not only our largest terrestrial carbon sink, they are also home to 80% of the world’s 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.
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
📷 @abrittain
📍 @seaveyvineyard
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness
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 $$$.
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
📍 @materrawines
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness
