Napa Valley Vintners Named Ethical Company of the Year by The Drinks Business Green Awards

Nonprofit association recognized for community and sustainability efforts

St. Helena, CA – The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) nonprofit association has been recognized as the 2017 Ethical Company of the Year for its community and sustainability initiatives in Napa County. The Drinks Business, a UK-based beverage industry publication, recognized NVV at its recent Green Awards ceremony in London. The honor is given annually to the company whose foundations are firmly based in, and dedicated to, the community and/or environment where it does business.

Since 1981, the NVV has invested $180 million in Napa County nonprofits to support community health and children’s education. The organization is also a founding stakeholder in the Napa Green program, considered one of the most comprehensive environmental accreditations for the wine industry.

“We deeply appreciate the NVV’s commitment to the health and future of our community and environment through its focused philanthropic and environmental leadership,” said Bill Dodd, California State Senator for District 3, encompassing Napa County. “The organization’s contributions add immensely to the quality of life in Napa County, making this a well-deserved award.”

A few of the factors that contributed to NVV receiving the Ethical Company of the Year award include:​

Social Sustainability: Investments in the Napa County Community

• Each year, funding from the NVV touches the lives of more than 100,000 clients of Napa County nonprofits in the areas of community health and children’s education.
• One in five Napa County residents uses OLE Health as their primary care provider. OLE Health is the largest recipient of NVV funding and Napa County’s only nonprofit health clinic.
• Every child in Napa County has access to health insurance through the Community Health Initiative of which NVV is the largest local private funder.
• Following the 2014 South Napa earthquake NVV provided the lead grant of $10 million to establish the Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund, which is managed by the Napa Valley Community Foundation (NVCF).
• The Community Foundation reactivated the Fund immediately after the start of the recent wildfires.
  NVV is the founder and sole sponsor of Auction Napa Valley, where funds for its community investment initiatives are raised.

Environmental Sustainability: Napa Green Program

• In 2000, NVV was a founding stakeholder in the Napa Green program and in 2015 set the ambitious goal to have all eligible members involved in the program by the end of 2020.
• As of December 2017, more than 50 percent of NVV members who own vineyard land, a winery or both are participating.
• Napa Green is a comprehensive environmental certification program for vineyards and wineries in the Napa Valley.
• The program represents a soil to bottle approach to environmental stewardship and winemaking, integrating holistic management practices at every step of the process.
• Independent, third-party certification of the whole farm and winemaking facility makes Napa Green one of the most comprehensive environmental accreditations for the wine industry.

About the Napa Valley Vintners

The Napa Valley Vintners nonprofit trade association has been cultivating excellence since 1944 by inspiring its more than 530 members to consistently produce wines of the highest quality, to provide environmental leadership and to care for the extraordinary place they call home. Learn more at napavintners.com.

About Auction Napa Valley

Since 1981, Auction Napa Valley, the Napa Valley Vintners’ (NVV) annual community fundraiser, has utilized the worldwide reputation of Napa Valley wines and the scenic beauty of the region to enhance the health and wellbeing of the Napa County community. To date, the NVV has invested $180 million from Auction Napa Valley proceeds in local nonprofit organizations. Learn more at auctionnapavalley.org.

About Napa Green

Napa Green is a comprehensive, independently certified sustainability program for vineyards and wineries in Napa Valley. It is one of the most comprehensive environmental accreditations in the wine industry. The program takes a soil to bottle approach, integrating sustainable management practices at every step of the winemaking process. In 2015, the Napa Valley Vintners set the goal that all its members will be in Napa Green by 2020. Learn more at napagreen.org.