June 30th – SAN FRANCISCO — Four California wineries and vintners were named Green Medal winners recognizing a commitment to sustainability in Leader, Business, Environment and Community categories.
The California wine community is a global leader in sustainability, with over 80% of California wine made in a Certified California Sustainable Winery. More than half of the state’s winegrape acreage is certified as Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing, Fish Friendly Farming, LODI RULES, Napa Green or SIP Certified.
“The Green Medal is an opportunity to recognize the industry’s cutting-edge leaders in sustainability,” said Allison Jordan, California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) Executive Director. “Their stories illustrate what it means to grow and craft quality winegrapes and wine while protecting the environment, being a good neighbor and employer and maintaining thriving family farms and businesses.”
LEADER AWARD – O’Neill Vintners & Distillers
Certified Sustainable Bottle LogoO’Neill Vintners & Distillers, located in California’s Central Valley, is the recipient of the Leader Award, given to a vineyard or winery that excels in the three “Es” of sustainability — Environmentally sound, socially Equitable and Economically viable practices.
As a community leader, O’Neill Vintners & Distillers has an overarching belief that sustainability is the right thing to do for everyone’s future. They are committed to making a real impact, not just in sustainable farming, but also by ensuring a well-rounded, diverse workforce with scholarship and internship opportunities to advance Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) representation. The company’s humanitarian mindset translates into its relationships with the community as well.
During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, O’Neill Vintners & Distillers made and distributed hand sanitizer to local first responders and hospitals. Other examples of leadership in practice are the installation of a new BioFiltro worm farm and the recycling of over 43 million gallons of water for field irrigation.
With multiple third-party environmental and sustainability certifications, including Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing, California Certified Organic Farmers and British Retail Consortium; innovative research projects; advancements in BIPOC representation; and a long-term commitment to sustainability through capital improvements in solar, water, and soil, O’Neill Vintners & Distillers has demonstrated that sustainability is the ultimate expression of its commitment to people, to the planet and to profit.
BUSINESS AWARD – Trinchero Family Estates
Certified Sustainable Bottle LogoTrinchero Family Estates, located in Lodi and Napa Valley, is the recipient of the Business Award, given to the vineyard or winery that best demonstrates smart business through efficiencies, cost savings and innovation from implementing sustainable practices.
The family and staff at Trinchero Family Estates believe that they have a responsibility to their customers, employees, partners, and communities to take meaningful actions to reduce their environmental impact and to incorporate sustainability into their business decisions.
Trinchero Family Estates has reduced water use and maximized water reuse at production facilities and in the vineyards. It also minimized waste generated by its facilities, while striving to achieve a zero waste to landfill status.
By reducing energy, fuel consumption and related greenhouse gas emissions; through conservation programs, facility and package design; and the use of alternative energy installations, Trinchero Family Estates has positively impacted its triple bottom line. Its Guiding Environmental Policy has six commitments including continuing its long history of sustainable farming practices, minimizing water usage, waste generation, fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and integrating environmental responsibility into its supply chain. By acting on these commitments, Trinchero Family Estates has shown that sustainability is good for business.
ENVIRONMENT AWARD – Shannon Ridge Family of Wines
Certified Sustainable Bottle LogoShannon Ridge Family of Wines, based in Lake County, is the recipient of the Environment Award, given to the vineyard or winery that best demonstrates environmental stewardship through maximized environmental benefits from implementing sustainable practices.
Through initiatives such as “Project Ovis,” the family is implementing a combination of sustainable, organic and regenerative farming practices, utilizing livestock like sheep, chickens and cows in their vineyards and non-crop areas. The sheep have reduced the need to mow by 500% and the use of gas-powered weed eaters has been nearly eliminated.
Shannon Ridge Family of Wines strives to bring balance to its farming system through the promotion of beneficial worms and insects and the creation of natural crop protection materials from compost to soil teas. The company is committed to data collection and analysis and shares both its successes and failures with the greater wine industry.
As one of the largest employers in Lake County, Shannon Ridge Family of Wines contributes to a local homeless shelter, an annual wine auction for local charities and scholarship fund for local students; participates in local farmers markets; and educates community members on their sustainable farming practices.
Currently certified to Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing, Fish Friendly Farming and LODI RULES, Shannon Ridge Family of Wines is soon to be one of the largest certified organic, mountain-grown vineyards in the U.S. by fall 2021.
COMMUNITY AWARD – Boisset Collection
Certified Sustainable Bottle LogoBoisset Collection, headquartered in Napa Valley, is the recipient of the Community Award, given to the vineyard or winery that is a good neighbor and employer using the most innovative practices that enhance relations with employees, neighbors and/or communities.
Boisset Collection stands apart for its commitment to its local community. This commitment is demonstrated through the care and support provided to its employees during times of crisis, the provision of educational opportunities and resources and its investments and donations to charitable endeavors that benefit the broader community.
Boisset Collection educates its community and customers about sustainability through company-supported initiatives and curated guest experiences including tours through its renowned Biodynamic® gardens.
In March 2020, Boisset Collection premiered JCB LIVE, an online series that has featured over 175 guests including vintners, growers, community leaders, activists, philanthropists and more.
In 2020, through the production and sale of two wines, a donation of over $40,000 was given to support out-of-work sommeliers as well as scholarship funds from the Association of African American Vintners Scholarship Fund and Wine Unify. Boisset Collection’s goal is to donate over $140,000 in 2021 to similar organizations. With a commitment to progress and a passion for diversity, Boisset Collection is driving forward positive change for both its employees and community.
Applications to determine the winners were judged by a panel of wine and sustainability experts, including Karen Block, PhD, UC Davis Viticulture and Enology; Stephanie Bolton, PhD, Lodi Winegrape Commission; Anna Brittain, Napa Green; David Glancy, MS, San Francisco Wine School; Allison Jordan, California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance; Frances Knapczyk, Napa Resource Conservation District; Cyril Penn, Wine Business Monthly; Mike Taylor, Nugget Market, Inc.; Sandra Taylor, Sustainable Business International LLC; and Beth Vukmanic Lopez, The Vineyard Team.
The seventh annual Green Medal awards are supported by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, California Association of Winegrape Growers, Wine Institute, Lodi Winegrape Commission, Napa Green, Napa Valley Vintners, Sonoma County Winegrowers and Vineyard Team.
Sponsors of this year’s Green Medal Awards include Wine Business Monthly, Amorim America, Farm Credit Alliance, ETS Laboratories and Protected Harvest.
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.
- Susan Boswell, Chateau Boswell Winery
🌿 Did you know that less than 3% of philanthropic donations go to environmental work?
Please consider donating to Napa Green this giving season with one of several ways at any level!
Head to the link in our bio for details!
With gratitude and joy, we wish you a beautiful day & start to the holiday season from all of us at Team Green!
- Ben, Meghan, Anna, Marissa, Sierra & Megan
‘If not here, where? If not now, when?’
“The onus is on us as a world class wine growing region to be leaders in sustainability & climate action.”
- Executive Director of Napa Green, Anna Brittain
It’s been a big week at Napa Green and we want to take a moment to raise a glass to salute you all.
We are overjoyed to see so much support and invigorated interest in our mission towards sustainable practices and regenerative agriculture in the wine industry.
We have many more details, paired with educational & financial resources that are already up and rolling on our website. We will continue to share them all, one by one and in great detail here on socials as well.
For now please plan on joining us at our upcoming Town Hall meeting on Dec 7th at @stsupery. You can find more details at napagreen.org.
Cheers and Happy Friday Napa Valley. We are so proud to be a part of this amazing community!
⚠️ Important Announcement
Napa Green becomes the first sustainable wine growing certification to require the phaseout of Round Up.
Please find the link in our bio for the full press release and full suite of info & grower resources.
Join us on December 7th for our Napa Green Town Hall at @stsupery.
You’re invited to join us for a very special day at @dominusestatewinery on November 30th.
We’ll be briefly interviewing our speaker @nikki_silvestri right here on Instagram today at 2:00pm PST to hear more about what to expect at this event. See you then.
Curious to learn more? Join us at @dominusestatewinery on November 30th for a rare event and luncheon. Link in bio for details.
GREEN is the new black this season!!
Head to the link in our bio now and get your shirts, help a good cause and be an honorary part of Team Green this season! 💚
Let’s hear it for our Executive Director of Napa Green, the incomparable Anna Brittain for being named a 2023 Wine Industry Leader by @winebusinessmonthly!!
In their Sustainability Stewards section (which we love to see) we find Anna named in good company with inspired fellow leaders!
Head to our stories or the link in our bio for free access to the full November issue.
Cheers to the great work of our visionary Director Anna Brittain!!
Join us for the Soil & Shadow Implicit Bias Training on Thursday, November 30th at Dominus Estate with @nikki_silvestri.
‘Exploring what Regenerative Farming Systems can teach us about Regenerative Social Systems.’
This is a rarely-available, full-day leadership opportunity. For anyone who joined us for our 2022 & 2023 THRIVES/RISE Climate & Wine Symposiums and heard Nikki Silvestri speak our guess is that for you, like us, 60-minutes wasn’t enough.
Soil and Shadow works with C-Suite executives, leaders and teams to build the relational and professional development skills for high performance, diversity, equity and inclusion.
One of the elements that makes the Soil and Shadow expertise so relevant and valuable for Napa Green leaders is that their frameworks use living systems to model healthy social systems.
Napa Green will be covering half the cost of the tickets to this event. Register asap at the link in our bio.
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📸: Laine Kuehn
Congratulations to Napa Green Certified @boeschenvineyards on being featured in @pressdemo as a first to offer hazard pay and disaster insurance to seasonal agricultural workers! Read on for more and find the link in our bio to the full story..
“To Boeschen, committing to this small safety net in times of emergency isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s the way labor relations are headed in the wine business.
When vineyard crews showed up for this year’s harvest at Boeschen Vineyards, a small winery that operates largely out of a cave dug into a pretty hillside off Silverado Trail just north of St. Helena, they were asked to listen to a three-minute presentation.
Doug Boeschen, the business’ owner, informed these seasonal agricultural workers, among the most economically vulnerable in the North Bay, that the winery was now offering them a combination of hazard pay and disaster insurance.
Boeschen will provide an option to its workers — including the seasonal labor that pours into the region’s renowned vineyards for just a few days or weeks at a time. If the Air Quality Index climbs above 150, Boeschen’s workers will be able to choose between receiving time-and-a-half to remain on the job, or to take paid time off.
Boeschen will also pay its laborers if they are forced to leave a worksite under an evacuation order.”
This article also features other notable efforts on behalf of larger companies and regions working towards the same end. We highly recommend you read the full article!
Sierra is our Soil & Climate Specialist at Napa Green and her ask this year is that everyone consider donating to our small but mighty Team Green for Giving Season!
Here is more from @regenwithsierra:
“🎃 Happy Halloween Eve everyone! Today is my birthday, and I would be beyond thrilled if you would consider a donation to @napagreen to support a nonprofit focused on climate action in the wine industry 🍷🍾
@napagreen has the leading set of standards for sustainable practices, from soil to bottle. I am most proud of the work we do with winegrape growers to adopt regenerative agricultural practices in their vineyards.
Please consider supporting us in our mission! Click the link in bio for more! “
Thank you for having us @visitnapavalley! We had a great time talking to visitors about the many sustainability practices our Napa Green wineries and vineyards employ!
Stop into the Visit Napa Valley Visitor Center in Napa to learn more!