About us

NAPA GREEN MISSION

Napa Green is a global leader in sustainable winegrowing, setting the highest bar for sustainability and climate action in the wine industry. Napa Green facilitates systematic soil to bottle certification for wineries and vineyards, and provides the resources, tools and connections to continuously level up leadership. In 2021, Napa Green was the first sustainable winegrowing program in the world to redevelop Vineyard certification standards to focus on climate action, regenerative carbon farming, and social equity. In 2022, Napa Green and community partners launched the first of its kind, six-event RISE Climate & Wine Symposium (formerly THRIVES) with over 65 leading speakers and 40 “Sustainable Services & Solutions” partners and sponsors.

The Napa Green mission is to AIM high through: 

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Adoption of rigorous Vineyard and Winery certification standards, and commitment to continuous improvement

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Impact, both regionally and by leveraging our powerful platform to galvanize sustainability and climate action in the global wine industry

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Measurement baselining and tracking performance for water and energy use, waste diversion, and GHG emissions from soil to market

NAPA GREEN VALUES

Leadership, Stewardship, Authenticity, Collaboration, Impact, Resilience, Regeneration

COMMITMENT TO RACIAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

At Napa Green we pledge to continuously examine and deepen our understanding of power imbalances and social biases in our everyday world. We commit to take action whenever possible to build a more just community, and partner with individuals and organizations that share this commitment. We seek to be a visible ally and take public positions not only on social inequities and injustices within our industry and community, but also within the broader social justice movement.

Acknowledging Historic Injustice

As Napa County pursues new opportunities in the 21st century it is also important to look back and recognize and acknowledge the history of this region. The Napa Valley is one of the longest continuously inhabited regions in California. For 10,000 years, this region, known as “Talahalusi,” was home to native peoples. In the 19th and early 20th centuries the Onasatis (often referred to as Wappo) were killed, decimated by smallpox and relocated by early settlers. As the wine industry began to take a foothold in the mid- to late-19th century Chinese migrant laborers played a central role in planting vineyards and building wineries and caves. They were treated as inferior citizens and heavily discriminated against. At the turn of the century a series of fires destroyed the Chinatown that once stood in St. Helena. Any remaining Chinese community was gone by the time of Prohibition. To move forward we must acknowledge the injustices and wrongs perpetrated in the past, which provide a critical lens to examine current prejudice, racism and injustice in our society. 

Napa Green Memberships

1% FOR THE PLANET

Napa Green is a nonprofit partner with 1% for the Planet, an international organization whose members contribute at least one percent of their annual sales to environmental causes. 1% for the Planet approved nonprofit partners are carefully vetted environmental organizations that are eligible to receive funding from their members. 

Businesses and individuals can support Napa Green and other non-profits dedicated to addressing issues surrounding climate, food, land, pollution, water, and wildlife through 1% for the Planet.

Areni Global

ARENI Global is an independent think tank dedicated to the future of fine wine. Areni global exists to answer the big questions of our time and to protect and defend fine wine from threats including regulatory, environmental, and societal changes. They do this by creating an international platform where experts and thought leaders can come together and share ideas, and by publishing key research and insights.

Diversity in Wine Leadership Forum

Napa Green is a participating organization in the Diversity in Wine Leadership Forum powered by Maryam + Company in partnership with Dr. Akilah Cadet. The Diversity in Wine Leadership Forum is a central resource for the wine community to connect and work with organizations with a core commitment to diversity and equity. 

napa valley grapegrowers

Napa Green works closely with the Napa Valley Grapegrowers (NVG), a community of wine industry leaders committed to ensuring our grape-growing community has the knowledge, resources, and conversations needed to succeed in a rapidly changing industry and environment.

PORTO PROTOCOL

Napa Green supports the The Porto Protocol on its principles to mitigate climate change effects. With this communication, we express our intent to implement those principles. We are committed to making The Porto Protocol and its principles part of the strategy, culture and day-to-day operations of our company, and to engaging in collaborative projects which advance the broader development goals of The Porto Protocol, particularly in sharing with others our good practices and results obtained with the implementation of solutions and actions that we have taken to mitigate the total impact of our activity on the environment.

Sustainable Wine Roundtable

Napa Green collaborates with The Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR), a unique coalition – the only global, independent roundtable to include all stakeholders in the wine sector from production to retail. 

NAPA GREEN TEAM

Anna Sq

ANNA BRITTAIN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Anna has worked locally, nationally and internationally on environmental management and policy with organizations ranging from the environmental economics think tank Resources for the Future in Washington, DC to the International Union for Conservation of Nature in Hanoi, Vietnam. She has spent over 12 years facilitating and growing sustainability in the wine industry, with an expertise in communications and certification standards. Anna has served as a lead sustainability consultant with Ontario Craft Wineries, Sustainable Winegrowing British Columbia, Crimson Wine Group, the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, and individual wineries including Benziger Family Winery.

Anna has helped lead the growth of the Napa Green program since 2015, and stepped into the position of Executive Director of the now independent non-profit in fall 2019. In 2022 and 2023, she led the launch of the action-oriented RISE Climate & Wine Symposium (formerly THRIVES), with 65+ expert speakers, 40+ sustainability sponsors, and 750+ guests. In 2023, Anna was named by the Wine Enthusiast as a Future 40 Tastemaker, and Wine Business Monthly as a Wine Industry Leader. In 2024, she was included in The Imbibe 75: “People and places that will shape the way we drink in 2024 and beyond.”

Anna has a Master’s of Environmental Science & Management from the Bren School at UC Santa Barbara and a BA in Political Science and Environmental Studies from Williams College.

Megan

MEGAN SCOTT | Winery program manager

Megan started her sustainability journey working at The Last Resort, an environmental model of sustainable living, whose mission is to discover and perfect sustainable environmental solutions for waste management, water reuse, and food security. From there, she studied Engineering and worked in the Hospitality Industry for over 20 years, streamlining operations and working to reduce waste and improve profitability. Megan has demonstrated her ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship by professionally facilitating sustainability conversations in the international hospitality industry through blogs, public speaking presentations, trainings and webinars featuring green business practices. Megan is dedicated in guiding businesses toward a more sustainable future. She holds an MBA, Sustainable Business Enterprises from Dominican University, and a BS in Marketing as well as a BS in Management from Sonoma State University.
Ben sq

Ben Mackie | vineyard program manager

For the past 15 years, Ben has been designing and implementing regenerative farming systems in a variety of ecosystems. A New Englander by birth, Ben fell in love with agriculture in the verdant fields of northern California in high school. Ever since, Ben has been managing farms, improving soils, and educating the next crop of environmental stewards with a holistic view of farming with natural systems. No stranger to Napa, he previously lived on Mt Veeder, where he fell in love with the oak and madrone woodlands and made friends with the local ravens. When Ben is not helping Napa’s vineyards adopt 21st century practices, he is spending time with his impressive wife and two wild children in the woods and on the water. Ben currently occupies Nisenan Territory and is a proud alumnus of Sterling College in Northeast Vermont, where he received a BA in Sustainable Agriculture.

Sierra Minchaca | Climate & Soil Specialist

Sierra’s deep connection with the natural world was fostered by her grandfather, who cultivated an awe-inspiring garden. This early influence ignited Sierra’s passion for natural resource management, with her journey beginning at the City of Napa’s Recycling Division, where she played a pivotal role in introducing city-wide composting initiatives for residential areas and schools. While pursuing her B.S. in Conservation & Resource Studies at UC Berkeley, Sierra’s trajectory shifted towards agriculture after immersing herself in an enlightening Agroecology course. Fueling her newfound passion, Sierra embarked on an 85-hour permaculture design course in Oakland, California, which ultimately propelled her career shift into the realm of viticulture. Now, she embraces her role in advancing climate resiliency in the Napa Valley, collaborating with growers to realize their climate action aspirations. Beyond her professional pursuits, Sierra finds solace in the practice of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and delights in showering affection on every feline friend she encounters.

Marisa Taylor | Program Coordinator

Growing up in wine country, it was only natural that Marisa became an early proponent of sustainability practices in Napa Valley. During her tenure as winemaker and general manager of Rutherford Hill Winery she supported sustainable farming and green practices from vineyard to cellar and across all winemaking operations. During that time she successfully obtained Napa Green Winery Certification which included the installation and conversion to solar powered energy throughout the facility. She was a featured winemaker in the 6 part PBS series Vintage 2012 and currently serves on the 2nd cohort of the Napa Valley Vintners Leadership Program. With a B.S. in Chemistry and a M.S. in Food Science from the University of California at Davis, she brings both a wealth of knowledge to her work as well as compassion, respect and stewardship for the land. Known for her compatible work style, authenticity and leadership abilities, Marisa looks forward to her continued collaboration with wineries across the valley which are united in pursuing and upholding the Napa Green mission.

Meghan Vergara | Social media manager

Meghan Vergara joins Napa Green with experience as a Vintner, Certified Sommelier, and oenophile having studied business at Ohio State University and Marketing at UC Davis. Meghan runs both Veritas Consultants, offering social media and marketing services to world class wine brands in Napa Valley and beyond, as well as her own label M Rosé. A main objective of to her recent return to her roots in Napa Valley was to become involved in sustainability efforts which she is thrilled to fulfill with Napa Green!

Bill Bennett | Winery Program Engineer

Bill Bennett is trained and licensed as a Civil Engineer, and draws on decades of experience with commercial and industrial resource use to help Napa County wineries understand, manage, and reduce energy and water use. Beginning in 2016, Bill led the design and facilitation of “Integrated Resource Audits” for wineries seeking Napa Green Winery certification or recertification. These one-stop, user friendly energy, water and waste evaluations baseline and track resource efficiency over time and provide targeted recommendations for both cost and resource savings. With more than 160 reviews to date, Bill has developed a broad portfolio of operational guidance and recommendations which have helped Napa Green wineries save more than $4 million in energy costs and over 27 million gallons of water (as of July 2021).

Prior to joining Napa Green, Bill was a key team member at Sustainable Napa County (SNC) where he designed and implemented a county-wide energy efficiency program for commercial customers of PG&E (Napa County Energy Watch). Prior to SNC, Bill was the Resident Engineer for the Anheuser-Busch InBev Fairfield brewery, where he led successful and innovative energy efficiency changes at this $500 million facility including 1 MW of ground mount tracking solar, 1.5 MW wind turbine, anaerobic digestion, upgrades and automation of compressed air, boilers, and ammonia refrigeration systems, making it a beacon for energy conservation in an industry, with production issues very similar to those of the winemaking community.

NAPA GREEN BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dan Petroski
interim Chair

Winemaker, Massican Winery and Board Member, Napa Valley Grapegrowers

Evyn Cameron

Consulting Winemaker

Michelle Novi
Board Secretary

Industry Relations and Regulatory Affairs Director, Napa Valley Vintners

MARTIN REYES, MW

Partner, WineWise; Founder, Reyes Wine Group and Co-Founder, Wine Unify

Molly SheppaRD
BOARD TREASURER

Assistant Winemaker & Environmental Manager at Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery

TOD MOSTERO

Director of Viticulture & Winemaking at Dominus Estate

Beth Strachan

Food & Wine Lover, Social Change Consultant

NAPA GREEN community advisors

Chris Benz

Napa Climate NOW! and Sierra Club Napa Group

John Garn

President, ViewCraft 

Jeri Hansen

Principal, Jeri Hansen Company

Frances Knapczyk

Program Director, Napa County Resource Conservation District

Miguel Garcia

Sustainable Agriculture Program Manager, Napa County Resource Conservation District

JAIME ARAUJO

Owner/Founder, Trois Noix Wines

Gregory Brun

Owner, Napa Valley Wine Train

Rob Anglin

Attorney, Holman Teague Roche Anglin, LLP

Joel Quigley

President, Creative Furnace LLC and Director of Marketing Communications at Lloyd Cellars & Prescription Vineyards

Will Drayton

Director Technical Viticulture, Sustainability & Research at Treasury Wine Estates

HAILEY TREFETHEN

Viticulture & Winemaking Operations, Trefethen Family Vineyards

Linsey Gallagher

President & CEO, Visit Napa Valley

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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Listen in for insights from @bedrockmorgan on Cultivating Resilience in changing weather patterns and get your ticket to hear Morgan, @cathycorison, @matt_brain_ & @andrearobinsonms live at next week’s Vintage Salon on Thurs, March 14th at 3:00pm at @freemarkabbey. 

Link in bio for tickets! 🎟️
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On this global day of celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women world wide, we want to wish all women in wine and climate action a very Happy International Women’s Day! 

The work we do is never easy but we’ve seen great advancements and look forward to what more what can do in 2024, together. 

Cheers!! 

#internationalwomensday #womensday #womeninwine #winebusiness #wineindustry #climateaction #napa #napavalley 

📸: @kikimrobinson & @briana_marie
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Order your Napa Green shirt TODAY for delivery in time for Earth Month and help our non-profit go! 🌎🌱

👉 Link in profile
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You’re invited to join us on Thursday, March 14th for our first Vintage Salon on Cultivating Resilience where we will taste through barrel samples with @andrearobinsonms & Winemakers @matt_brain_ & @bedrockmorgan! 

👉 Head to the link in our profile to get your tickets ASAP!
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Join us for a March Event! 🌱

March Events can be found at the link in our profile and online at napagreen.org under Connect with us > Events & Workshops. 

We are so thrilled to have seen so many faces at our well attended events in February and want to keep the climate action momentum going for 2024. Head over to our website and sign up for one or all of these events today!
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Napa Green & Premiere Napa Valley 💚

Thank you for creating such a beautiful event @wheelerfarmswinery! 

Incredible offerings from Napa Green Certified wineries @aowinery, @chandonusa, @grgichhills, @inglenook1879, @rombauervineyards, @spottswoodewinery, @trefethenfamily, @troisnoixwine & @stsupery!! 

Cheers to @premierenapa!
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The whole team is here and some amazing friends are joining us like @spottswoodewinery, @accendocellars, @aowinery, @stsupery, @rombauervineyards, @chandonusa, @troisnoixwine, @trefethenfamily, @matthiasson_wine & @grgichhills! 

Our first @premierenapa event kicks off at 4pm today at @wheelerfarmswinery!! 🍷🎉
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Grazing in the vineyards with a big assist from Cup the Sheep Dog! 

We’ll see you at our event in partnership with @napa_valley_grapegrowers on Feb 27th at @thecastello! Link in bio for registration. 

#welovedogs #sheepdog #sheepfarming #grazing #vineyards #napa #napavalley #regenerativeagriculture #soilhealthmatters
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Sign up for the Grazing Workshop on Tuesday, Feb 27th at @thecastello at the link in our profile. 

@napa_valley_grapegrowers @perennialgrazing
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Add the Napa Green logo to your back label! 

Find the link in our profile or email megan@napagreen.org. Happy bottling season!
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