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Like wine regions the world over, Napa Valley has adopted certification programs to help wine-producers do their bit to roll back environmental degradation and regenerate the land.

Napa Valley Goes Green
From soil to bottle and everything in between.

Napa Valley is green for much of the year, from spring, when the vines produce their new leaves, until autumn, when the leaves turn yellow before falling off and the vines settle in for their annual hibernation. But Napa Green, the regional sustainability program, is turning the valley metaphorically green year-round—and not only the vineyards, but also the wineries, cellars, and all the commercial operations.

Like wine regions the world over, Napa Valley has adopted certification programs to help wine-producers do their bit to roll back environmental degradation and regenerate the land. Napa is a region where these issues are immediate. Periodic droughts threaten the viability of vineyards that rely on irrigation, and annual wildfires in the valley threaten to destroy vineyards and taint grapes with smoke residue.

Sustainability programs adopted by wineries are sometimes scorned as “greenwashing.” But Napa Valley wineries know they need to take meaningful action, and they’ve made Napa Green a leader in the wine industry’s move toward environmental responsibility. In the vineyard, it includes measures to reduce water use, prevent soil erosion, reduce harmful inputs such as chemicals, and protect the habitat. In the cellar, it means saving energy and water, reducing carbon footprints, and maximizing recycling.

It’s what Anna Brittain, Napa Green’s executive director, calls a soil to bottle program—and it literally involves bottles, as producers are encouraged to forsake the heavy glass bottles iconic red wines are often packaged in. Glass, Brittain says, accounts for a huge percentage of the industry’s carbon footprint. Lighter bottles are good for everyone, especially people who have to carry cases of wine, but we might see the progressive return of corks at the expense of the easy-to-remove screwcaps that have become so common in the last 20 years: cork is simply the bark of a tree that renews itself naturally—an archetypal renewable resource, if ever there was one—and corks can be recycled.

But Napa Green is not just about stuff, like glass, corks, and water. It’s also about the people in Napa’s wine industry. Racial and gender equity policies are built into the standards for employment practices. They embrace hiring, opportunities for advancement, health care, and salaries. As with vineyard and cellar practices, the program enables wineries to measure their progress with personnel.

What does this mean in real terms for wineries? Jon Ruel, co-founder and CEO of Trefethen Vineyards, one of the early members of Napa Green, embraced it enthusiastically: “It’s a project about your land.” An example of his sustainable measures: when one block of merlot was underperforming because the vines were too vigorous, he planted cover crops between the rows to “steal water” from the vines. The vines soon balanced their foliage and grapes.

Ruel warns that “sustainability is not a destination; it’s a journey,” and here he’s in agreement with Haley Duncan, a member of the family that owns Silver Oak Cellars and its safety and sustainability manager. Napa Green, she says, is not a set of fixed goals but will evolve. One of Silver Oak’s projects was to install enough solar panels—3,000 of them—to provide all the power for the winery. The winery has LEED Platinum certification.

Napa Green clearly benefits the environment and the people who work in Napa Valley’s wineries, but do its effects extend to the contents of the bottle? Does sustainably produced wine taste better or even different? Jon Ruel thinks not—not if you think of taste in the narrow sense. But if you think contextually, and you know that the wine you’re drinking was made with respect for the land, he says, “it doesn’t just taste great, it feels great!”

These wines are produced by wineries certified by Napa Green:

Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay 2018 (Napa Valley)

Clos du Val Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 (Napa Valley)

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 (Napa Valley)

Hoopes Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 (Oakville, Napa Valley)

Revana Terroir Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 (Napa Valley)

Robert Mondavi The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (To Kalon Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley)

Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 (Napa Valley)

Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Napa Valley)

Making the commitment to third party certification takes time and effort, but it is worth it to demonstrate our commitment to the community and to protect our watershed, our land and the air we breathe.​

Have you met Sierra, our Climate & Soil Specialist? Sierra works tirelessly to advance climate resiliency in the Napa Valley by collaborating with growers to realize their climate action aspirations. 

Say hi to @growresiliently next time you see her in the field. Thanks for all that you do, Sierra!
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On average 40-60% of a vineyard and winery’s carbon footprint is from packaging and distribution alone. Join us to explore climate smart, sustainable glass, closures, the future of reusable glass, alternative packaging. Hear case studies. Learn what is truly recyclable, and new opportunities to recycle film wrap and label backing. Since 2020, climate smart marketed CPG products have doubled in sales to $3.4 billion. Wine bottles and packaging can be leveraged to meet rising consumer demand for climate smart products.

Get tickets to this workshop @pineridgewine to hear from @napagreen @consciouscontainer @revinobottles @keystonecapsules @cork_supply @neotempowines @estal_packaging @uppervalleydisposal @naparecycling and more!
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You may have seen Megan, our Winery Program Manager, out and about sporting her @napagreen shirt and talking about green practices. Utilizing her background in hospitality, sustainability and engineering she is dedicated in guiding businesses toward a more sustainable future. 

Thanks for all you do @love.dream.breathe!
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Join us for All Things Bottle Sustainability on Friday, April 26th. Link in bio to register!
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Cheers to @abrittain! Anna has worked locally, nationally and internationally on environmental management, including leading @napagreen and @naparise to the forefront of the wine industry climate action movement. 

Keep an eye out for her with our unofficial mascot, Lily, sharing our best practices, facilitating action and growing resilience in our industry and community. 

Thank you for all you do!
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We’re so pleased to announce Verallia as a new Napa Green Sponsor and excited to see their work in creating lighter sparkling wine glass bottles with Napa Green Champion @domainecarneros! 

For more info on Verallia head to the link in our profile and for more info on becoming a Napa Green Sponsor email: social@napagreen.org 🥂
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We’ve had so much fun hosting and being out at events this March! It was great seeing you all at our Cutilvating Resilience Salon and Celebrate St. Helena event at @crockerstarr! 

We’re just getting warmed up because you know what next month is.. EARTH MONTH! 🌎🌱

Can’t wait to see more friendly faces celebrating our beautiful planet in April. Cheers! 🥂
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Join us for a not to be missed dinner experience. Only 20 guests in attendance will be looking out over the infinity pool at Neotempo’s organic vineyard, and the beautiful view of the Vaca Mountains beyond. Award-winning Chef Dave Cruz previously of Ad Hoc, will prepare a four-course, locally-sourced dinner paired with Cristal Louis Roederer Champagne and spectacular Neotempo wines. 

You will have the chance to share transformative conversations and form deep connections with industry leaders and changemakers. Special guest Karen MacNeil will share insights on “All Things Bottle Sustainability.” 

This will be, truly, unforgettable.

Claim your tax deductible tickets for April 26th asap and support local climate action. Information may be found at the link in our profile.
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Expedition Stags Leap! 🥾🍷

This is the way to our hearts! Plan your visit to Napa Green Certified winery @pineridgewine to taste the quality and learn all about climate smart practices in both the winery and vineyard! 

#stagsleap #napavalley #cabernet #regenerativeagriculture #winereels
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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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