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Jess Lander | NAPA Magazine
IN DROUGHT CONDITIONS, CREATIVE WINEMAKERS APPLY SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS TO THE PRODUCTION OF AWARD-WINNING WINES
In agriculture, water is considered a precious resource, but in the face of another California drought, Napa Valley winemakers are finding creative and sustainable ways to adapt and continue to craft premium, concentrated wines with less of it.
Most recently, California experienced a drought between the years 2012 and 2016 and as of 2020 finds itself in a state of drought once again. But while these conditions may not be ideal, they’re far from a death sentence to vintners who discovered long ago that a lack of water can actually aid in the production of fine wines.
Unlike other crops, vines can not only survive, but thrive in drought conditions. In fact, until the creation of drip irrigation-a system that feeds the vines additional water when needed-vineyards in Napa Valley were historically dry-farmed, meaning the only water they received was from the year’s rainfall.
While most wineries now take advantage of irrigation technology, they are still typically limiting their water usage, whether it’s a drought year or not. Nick Bleecher, general manager and winemaker at Calistoga’s Jericho Canyon Vineyard, says, “We’re trying to use as little water as possible.”
When water isn’t readily available, the vines stress, growing roots deep down into the soils in search of a drink. As a result, the grapes in the clusters are smaller and yields are lower, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The smaller yields of the berries from moderately stressed vines are known to create extremely complex and concentrated wines, the kind that bring home top scores and reviews from the industry’s critics.
There is another major benefit to these water-saving practices: sustainability. Members of Napa Green, an organization that serves as a catalyst for growing certified sustainable businesses in the wine industry, have learned to employ specific viticulture practices meant to both mitigate water usage and store more water in the soil. In the end, it’s win-win. They are conserving water for a greener planet and at the same time cultivating high quality wine grapes.
Here are three ways that Napa Green wineries farm sustainably in drought conditions.
IRRIGATION EVALUATIONS
One of the more effective strategies wineries use to conserve water is tracking irrigation usage with devices such as water sensors, soil moisture boxes and pressure readers. These help viticulturalists monitor vine health and determine precisely if, when and how much water the drip irrigation system should feed the vines. Adrienne Uboldi, vineyard and sustainability manager at Markham, says that giving the vines the amount of water they need when they need it “plays a big role in how we can be sustainable.”
Viticulturalists also frequently perform irrigation assessments, which check for common issues, such as excessive or low pressure, clogging, or leaking, all of which can not only waste water but also affect grape quality. “So much of sustainability is awareness, monitoring and maintenance,” says Anna Brittan, executive director of Napa Green.
CARBON FARMING
Another common conservation initiative is “carbon farming.” In simple terms, vintners look for ways to store or “sequester” more water in the soil. Carbon farming enables them to irrigate less during growing season while also improving soil health and increasing the overall resiliency of the vineyard.
“Enhancing soil’s water-holding capacity allows farmers to have more control over the fate of nutrients in the soil,” explains Dr. Miguel Garcia, a soil science expert for the Napa County Resource Conservation District. “Better water and nutrient management allows farmers to better manage vine health and grape quality, which translates into better-quality wine.”
One way to do this is to grow cover crops between the vine rows and mow them to help retain moisture, says Uboldi. She also avoids tilling the soil, which can have negative effects on soil quality.
Kirk Grace, director of California vineyard operations at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, uses compost tea, made of compost and water, which is inserted into the drip irrigation system and distributed to the vines.
“The simplest way to describe it is that I am making an electrolyte replacement drink for the vines,” says Grace. “We have a limited amount of irrigation water here, so the compost tea helps to buffer the stress that would be there because we can’t irrigate as much as we’d like to.”
LOOKING FORWARD-AND BACK
In anticipation of increasing drought conditions, wineries are being extra-strategic when they replant vineyards. Vine orientation, rootstock selection and grape variety choice can all play a role in making a vineyard more drought resilient, and some wineries are even planting experimental vineyards to test these different factors and plan for the future.
Yet while they look ahead, some are also taking a page out of the old playbook. The traditional practice of dry-farming is seeing a small resurgence of interest throughout Napa Valley. Tod Mostero, director of viticulture and winemaking for Dominus Estate, purposefully dry-farms the estate’s 137 acres in both Yountville and Oakville. “We dry-farm because we believe it’s the best way for us to grow quality grapes,” he says. “Vines are one of the crops that need the least amount of water.”
Whether the current drought ends sooner or later, the fact is that droughts will always be a recurring event in California. The continued conservation efforts by Napa Valley’s vintners are a major key in producing quality wines for a long time to come.
About Napa Green: The Napa Green 501c3 is a global leader in sustainable winegrowing, setting the highest bar for sustainability and climate action in the wine industry. Napa Green facilitates whole system soil to bottle certification for wineries and vineyards, and provides the expertise, boots-on-the-ground support, and resources to continually improve. Learn more at https://napagreen.org/participating-members/.
Anna Brittain
Napa Green
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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.
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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.
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📍 @tressabores
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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.
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📍 @seaveyvineyard
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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.
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📍 @corisonwinery
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✅ 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
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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.
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✅ 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
Green teams offer a multitude of benefits, ranging from enhanced employee engagement and a culture of sustainability to cost savings and improved environmental performance.
✅ 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.
📷 @kikimrobinson
📍 @charleskrugwinery
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Napa Green Vineyard members located along waterways maintain and enhance riparian areas for wildlife habitat, erosion control, creek/river health and carbon storage.
✅ 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
