NAPA GREEN NEWS

  • NAPA GREEN NEWSLETTER |
Dear Napa Green community,
 
It is still hard for me to wrap my mind around how dramatically our world has changed in the past few weeks. I have been thinking about all of you and wondering how you, your staff and your wineries are faring with this upheaval. If there is anything that Napa Green can do to support you please reach out anytime. 
 
We have been keeping an eye out to cross-promote any social media posts offering curbside pickups, free local deliveries, discounted shipping, virtual tastings and any other creative ways you are helping keep all of us engaged and stocked with wine. We would love to keep a running list to share weekly so if you have any offers you would like us to promote please email our new Program Assistant, Megan Scott (megan@napagreen.org).
 
Hopefully all of you have heard the exciting news that Napa Green is now an independent non-profit and I have stepped into the role of Executive Director. We originally planned a Member Meeting on March 26 to share future plans for Napa Green and hear from all of you with any questions or ideas. This meeting was rescheduled to April 23, and given that nationwide stay-at-home has been extended to at least April 30 this will now be rescheduled to May/June. I hope you will join us whenever we are again able to meet and share some wine in person. 
 
Today marks the launch of Down to Earth Month for the California Wine Industry. April 22nd will also mark the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day . Now more than ever the nature that sustains us is reminding us to care for her. Throughout the month please post photos and share your stories of sustainability and environmental and community stewardship. Be sure to use the hashtags and handles shared below. We look forward to seeing your posts! Napa Green will also be sponsoring and participating in the virtual Earth Day Napa Celebration – more to come on that. 
There are more meetings, projects and ideas underway for Napa Green than we can keep up with, and fortunately much of this can be done remotely. I am enjoying working on my new front porch with my best co-worker, my Boxer Lily, sipping a Stony Hill Riesling. I hope those of you working from home also have great stay-at-home companions.
 
Be well and stay in touch,
 
 

Anna Brittain

Earth Day 1970

Share your Sustainability Story during Down to Earth Month and Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day in #NapaGreen Style

There are still many things to celebrate, and that includes Down to Earth Month in April. Incredibly, it has been 50 years since the launch of Earth Day .
 
With more traffic than ever on social media you will certainly attract some likes and loves by sharing fun pictures and stories of your own sustainability and environmental stewardship successes. Be sure to use our hashtags and handles – #NapaGreen, #OurNapa, #DownToEarthMonth, @napagreen (Instagram / Twitter) @napagreencertified (Facebook).
 
Here are some great recent examples from Cakebread and Tres Sabores. Find more ideas and information in our Napa Green Communications Kit . 
Napa Green is sponsoring and participating in the virtual Earth Day Napa. In the past Napa Green has helped raise funds by seeking donations of Napa Green wines that are sold by the glass on Earth Day. Since we can’t toast in person this year we are planning a fundraising raffle for 3-packs of Napa Green wines. Please let us know if you would like to donate some wines – we are hoping to assemble five cases (email anna@napagreen.org). 
 
Funds raised support the Environmental Education Coalition of Napa County’s Darcy Aston Scholarship, given to graduating high school students planning to study an environmental field, and the Field Trip Bus grant, which provides vital funding to teachers for environmental field trips – 150 over the last 5 years to be exact!
 
Spoiler Alert: The 2020 California Sustainable Winegrowing Green Medal Award winners are being announced in April and spoiler alert – another Napa Green member has received an award! We are incredibly proud that Napa Green members have been recognized with six of the 24 leadership awards recognizing growers and wineries statewide since 2015.
Chandon wine _1_

The Napa Green Tasting Passport Opens The Doors To Iconic Wineries Where Sustainability Elevates Quality And Experience

We are looking forward to the launch of our inaugural Napa Green Tasting Passport , helping our members differentiate their brands and leverage their commitment to sustainable grape growing and winemaking with visitors and trade. The Passport will also be a cornerstone of fundraising for the newly independent Napa Green non-profit.

A recent NYU Stern Center study found that from 2013-2018 50% of sales growth for consumer packaged goods came from sustainability-marketed products; sustainable product sales have grown 5.6 times faster than their conventional counterparts.

A core goal of the Passport is to drive more guests to Napa Green wineries during slower shoulder seasons. Now we also hope the Passport can help reengage the drive market for a getaway to wine country, once we are all allowed to escape our homes. We had planned to launch the Passport in April but we will likely push this back to June & July, and offer again over the holidays in November & December. 

We have a spectacular lineup of 17 participating wineries all across the Valley:  St. Supéry Estate, Cakebread Cellars, Domaine Chandon, Tres Sabores, Honig, Jessup Cellars, Handwritten Wines, Etude, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Chimney Rock, Clos Du Val, Conn Creek, Provenance Vineyards, Beringer, Schweiger Vineyards, Sterling Vineyards and Newton Vineyards.

Napa Green is also launching Hospitality & Sales Training Workshops to help engage staff and build fluency in talking about Napa Green and sustainable winegrowing.

If you are a Napa Green winery that is interested in participating in this exciting program, please email  anna@napagreen.org.

Napa-Green-Certified-Sign

Introducing the Online Napa Green Winery Application Portal

Napa Green has launched a new Winery Online Application Portal. Good news – if you are a current member we have already created an account for you. Please reach out to megan@napagreen.org if you need your username and temporary password.
 
Napa Green has always wanted to do annual check-ins on Action Plans and resource metrics, but bandwidth was limited. This portal gives us the opportunity to touch base yearly. You will receive an automated email when your annual “Desk Audit” is due. We will guide you through calculating your metrics using the new online Metric Calculator, and giving us an update on Action Plan implementation. 
 
This means now is the perfect time to make sure you’re collecting and recording your monthly electricity, water and solar use (last only if relevant), review the recommendations from your Integrated Resource Audit, and ensure your Action Plan is on track.

Napa Green is Here to Help You Save Money by Saving Energy and Water (which has an embedded energy cost)

We have audited wineries of similar sizes where one winery is spending an annual average of $7/case on electricity and the other was spending $2/case on electricity. For a 15,000 case winery this amounts to $75,000 off the bottom line. 
 
In case this quieter time in the cellar affords some time to work on energy and water efficiency we wanted to share some recommendations.  
 
If you are purchasing and installing new LED lights make sure they are on the verified quality list, guaranteeing performance and longevity. We have had a few members unknowingly purchase non-qualified lights that failed quickly. 
 
Are you ready to double-down on water efficiency? Learn from the successes of other Napa Green members. Judd’s Hill has cut water used for sanitation by >60% using Destainex LF – get the inside scoop. Cakebread has installed a sophisticated water meter system that is saving water and money, The Prisoner Wine Company is benefitting from the ideas and engagement of their “Blue Team,” and Silver Oak has been working to become the first Living Building Challenge certified winery.