(Napa Valley, CA, April 13, 2022) — Napa Green, the leading non-profit sustainable winegrowing program, has been awarded a three-year, $456,000 Specialty Crop Block Grant* to continue to grow participation and impact in the new, cutting-edge Napa Green Vineyard certification.

In 2021, Napa Green became the first sustainable winegrowing certification to launch a completely redeveloped, next-level set of vineyard standards focused on the critical issues of today and tomorrow: climate action, regenerative carbon farming, and social equity, justice, and inclusion. This grant expands Napa Green’s capacity to implement this rigorous certification and work with more Napa County growers to play an active role in on-farm carbon sequestration and building vineyard resilience to our changing climate. Napa Green has set the ambitious goal to work with certified growers to become carbon neutral within six years, and climate positive within nine years.

The first five growers to complete the new program and become Napa Green Certified Vineyards include: Opus One Winery; Spottswoode Winery; Dominus Estate; Clif Family Winery; and Sequoia Grove Winery. An additional 42 growers are actively transitioning to Napa Green Vineyard certification, with 5,800 vineyard acres and over 13,700 total land acres currently certified or in transition. Eager and early adoption of the new program reflects the desire of many growers to help set an industry standard of sustainability and climate action leadership.

Tod Mostero, Director of Viticulture & Winemaking at Dominus Estate, shares, “Napa Green has driven us to assess every aspect of what we do, aim to constantly question, continually improve and sustain a vision that benefits the quality of our wine, our ecosystems and our communities. To me personally, being among the first Napa Green Certified Vineyards has shifted my perspective. Alone, our impact is relatively limited. But if through Napa Green certification we can inspire other growers to strive toward sustainability, we have created accelerated movement toward real vibrancy, growth and health in our region and beyond.”

Dominus, Opus One, Spottswoode, and Clif Family and are all certified at the “Gold Level,” meaning they farm organically, and are synthetic herbicide- and neonicotinoid-free (pesticides that are high-risk for pollinators).

“It is inspiring to see that this new revised Napa Green Vineyard certification program adds comprehensive elements to address social equity, climate change and other aspects of environmental sustainability, therefore setting a ‘high bar,’” shared Ann Thrupp (PhD), consultant to Clif Family Winery. “This certification can help ensure authentic approaches, and contribute to substantial social, ecological and economic benefits.”

With the award of the Specialty Crop Block Grant, Napa Green will hire a Climate & Soil Specialist to work directly with growers and provide additional, on-the-ground support to achieve certification and implement the more than 100 required actions. In addition, Napa Green will host a total of 12 workshops to help immerse growers in sustainable practices like vine/wood waste low-pollution burn alternatives; the triple win of carbon farming, soil health, and vineyard resilience; and methods to streamline training, build engagement, and create opportunities for advancement for vineyard teams.

“Our goal is to set the highest standards for sustainability leadership in the global wine industry,” says Anna Brittain, Executive Director of Napa Green. “This is not a traditional top-down certification; we aim to be an extension of our member’s teams. The need for climate action is urgent and we are here to provide growers with the guidance, tools, and support to take bold action and continue to be sustainability leaders. We are grateful for this critical grant support, and for all of the growers adopting the new Napa Green Vineyard certification. Together, we can be an outsized force for industry change.”

*Funding for the project, “Tomorrow’s Vineyards: Advancing Climate Action and Social Equity in the Winegrape Industry” was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant 21SCBPCA1110. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.

About Napa Green

Napa Green is a leading sustainable winegrowing program that offers the opportunity for comprehensive, Soil to Bottle third-party certification of vineyards and wineries. Napa Green members practice regenerative carbon farming, save energy and water, prevent waste and implement environmentally preferable purchasing, use renewable energy, and enhance social equity, justice, and inclusion. Napa Green vineyards and wineries exemplify that caring of nature and community elevates quality and experience. See all Napa Green Participating Members here: https://napagreen.org/participating-members/