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Katherine Martine | Wine Business monthly
The important role of water management and metering in maximizing water use efficiency for more sustainable farming and a healthier water table and environment was a key takeaway from the first day of Napa Green’s third Napa RISE Climate & Wine Symposium at Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena.
The conference—which runs April 29 – May 1 and May 6 – 8—kicked off Tuesday with a day of keynotes and workshops, each with their own action items for attendees to implement at home, focused on water savings and efficiency.
One of the first panels of the morning took place outside near the vineyard where BCG Water consulting discussed navigating water regulations and compliance. Representatives from Meter.Me and Lumo conducted a show and tell of their respective water management tech.
Ashley Boudet, the president and founder of BCG Water who’s been helping wineries with water regulation compliance for the last decade, shared why water data matters so much in this day in age. She asked the audience how many people track daily water use by the gallon; a handful of people raised their hands.
“We can do better,” she said. “Why (does) water data matter so much? Napa has faced historic droughts and extreme rainfall… water is really not just a statistic anymore, we really need to start focusing on it. The true challenge isn’t how much water we use, it’s how well we understand it.”
Boudet said water monitoring tools can help us track whether there’s a leak, or a section of a plot that’s being overwatered, water pressure issues, etc. Essentially, they can help find water inefficiencies, helping you mitigate those by taking action. As an example, she recalled a client who installed 20 water meters per facility, and after 12 months they analyzed the data and realized that they were using four million gallons of water just for landscape irrigation.
“So, you know, that opens some eyes to really start looking at those things a little closer: Do we need those kinds of plants? Then do those plants really need that much water? Is the water hitting the plants, or is it running off into a drainage system, what’s going on?”
That’s where companies like Lumo and Meter.Me come into play.
Ofer Tenenbaum, co-founder, product roadmap at Meter.Me, shared information about their cloud-based water management system. The system uses long-range lot networks that don’t rely on cellular data or Wi-Fi networks and it can run on solar or wind power. With this technology, you can monitor tanks, wells, water meters and ponds from your smart device. Castello di Amorosa winery is a Meter.Me user. Georg Salzner, president at Castello, noted that the system can provide other alerts as well. In addition to getting notified about and catching leaks, he’ll also receive a notification if the winery generators start running.
From a wildfire standpoint, Tenenbaum added that Meter.Me data and information from water tanks can be shared with local firefighters right to their command tablets on their fire trucks, showing them how many gallons of water is available and where and the type of valve they can use to draw from that tank if necessary.
Devon Wright is the co-founder and CEO of Lumo, the company behind the Lumo smart valve that is equipped with a built in flow meter and an onboard computer allowing for 24/7 remote control and access. WineBusiness reported on the Lumo technology in 2023 when it was first being used at BV. The valve can be controlled anywhere from a smartphone or computer to control, monitor and measure irrigation. With this you can more easily report on water use, irrigate based on precise levels and irrigate at night. Antinori Napa Valley uses Lumo and Senior Vineyard Manager, Andrew Oliver, expressed that its use can even help better inform vineyard supplies orders.
Suggested attendee action items from this talk included:
Following the workshops–another one was held inside discussing Dominus Estate and Pine Ridge Vineyards’ transition to dry farming. Pine Ridge was also the recipient of the Napa RISE Leadership Award for water efficiency and savings.
Noted journalist and author Mark Arax—who’s been writing about California wildfires for the last two decades, including penning several recent guest essays in the New York Times—delivered the keynote address.
Reading an excerpt from his book, “The Dreamt Land: Chasing Water and Dust Across California,” Arax shared how while growing up in the Central Valley where his father farmed raisins, he didn’t initially stop to ponder how much we plunder, whether that’s water, soil or minerals like gold during the California Gold Rush, or even plundering the land moving into and sprawling housing and urban developments into the Wildland Urban Interface.
Through reporting, history and self reflection, Arax’s book explores the battles over water in California with farming and considers the state’s water distribution system, built in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. It’s a system struggling to keep up with the state’s growth and farming and Arax asks ‘what magnitude can this go to’? In some places, he pointed out, the state’s aquifer has sunk by a matter of feet.
While California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is meant to address these issues and better manage groundwater, he noted the issue of enforcement and farmer pushback; for instance in the Central Valley he said climate change are two words that farmers don’t like to utter.
Arax said we’ve entered into what he believes is the last extraction—as a state we’re trying to decide where to go in terms of farmland and suburbia as it continues encroaching into the wildland urban interface.
It’s a reminder of the importance of our resources, including water as a resource and the decisions we make around irrigation. As Napa Green’s Executive Director Anna Brittain put it, “I just want to talk a little bit about water and how interconnected it is to so many elements of our lives.”
“It’s probably the resource most impacted by climate change… It’s deeply connected with energy. It’s deeply connected to soil health and forest health, and the ability to infiltrate and store and retain water, but also we are all at least 60% water—depending on how much wine we drink.”
Action opportunities for attendees from the keynote included:
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
All of our members are committed to using at least 60% renewable energy, whether through on-site solar and other renewable sources or by working with @mcecleanenergy to access clean power through the grid. The impact? Over 1.2 million pounds of CO2e saved by wineries and vineyards in just one year. To put that into perspective it’s the equivalent to offsetting the emissions from driving over 1.5 million miles in a typical gas-powered car!
✅ 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.
📷 @love.dream.breathe
📍 @corisonwinery
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness #renewableenergy #greenpower #greenenergy
As part of their commitment to sustainability, Napa Green Certified Winery members collaborate with key suppliers and utilize their purchasing power to support eco-friendly practices. In the same way, we can make a difference at home by choosing materials made from post-consumer recycled materials, and selecting reusable, recyclable, compostable, biodegradable, and non-toxic products.
✅ 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.
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness #greenpurchasing #supplychain
Napa Green Certified Vineyards implement climate-smart burn practices, such as Conservation Burning, Flame Cap Kilns, and Air Curtain Burners. These practices reduce smoke and emissions and create biochar. Biochar is re-fossilized wood that provides long-term carbon storage. Even more compelling, when inoculated and applied with compost, biochar aids in water retention and increases water and fertilizer efficiency.
✅ 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.
📍 @gloriaferrerwinery
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness
Napa Green Certified Vineyards implement practices to create habitat for beneficial wildlife, including bluebirds, owls, bats, and raptors. Members may also install boxes and perches if trees or other natural perches aren’t present to encourage these animals in the vineyard. These measures are part of a broader commitment to sustainable and regenerative farming practices.
✅ 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
📍 @tressaboreswinery
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness #biodiversity
While vineyards don’t directly require pollination, pollinators still play a vital role in the overall health of our ecosystems. Increased biodiversity leads to better soil health, water retention and can attract beneficial insects. Plus, pollinators are friend shaped! 🐝
✅ 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
📍 @grgichhills
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness #biodiversity
Join us @earthdaynapa tomorrow, April 12 at the wine booth to try some sustainable wines!
All proceeds for to the Environmental Education Coalition of Napa County’s Field Trip Bus Grant Program and the Darcy Aston Scholarship.
#earthday #earthmonth #earthdayeveryday #sustainablewine #climatesmartwine
Carbon storage is inherently site-specific, tied to unique combinations of soil types, microclimates, historical farming practices, and more. Napa Green Certified Vineyards leverage soil sampling to validate the on-the-ground impacts of their regenerative farming methods.
✅ 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.
📷 @growresiliently
📍 @sixsigmaranch
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness
