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Listen to the recordings from this half day event on how to prevent waste and manage the supply chain for sustainability in wineries and vineyards.
Thank you to our exclusive event sponsor H&A Barrel Management.
For nearly 20 years, H&A has provided barrel management services to wineries and distilleries throughout the world. Conscious of the finite nature of oak barrels and the environmental impact of their use, they have made it their mission to extend the lifecycle of the barrels. H&A uses their financing solution as the vehicle to deliver their barrel management services, providing their partners with the necessary quality and traceability standards for each additional use of the barrels. H&A offers their partners a 100% barrel recycling guarantee. Their used barrel inventory can be used in variety of outlets based on age, condition, and quality. Their highest quality barrels are reused for winemaking, but they have options for older barrels as well. These barrels can transition into their seasoning program and eventually to distilleries as finishing barrels. Through these strategic global programs, H&A has been able to extend the lifecycle of the barrel to over 30 years for wineries of all sizes.
Join Molly Sheppard, Assistant Winemaker & Environmental Manager at Spottswoode Estate, in a live conversation with mentee Michael Coode, Winemaker at Rutherford Hill, about first steps to transition to lighter glass, including key considerations, adaptations, and challenges like supply chain and market/brand perception. Lighter glass requires less sand/cullet and energy to produce, lightens shipments and often reduces the number of shipments, reducing costs and emissions. This conversation will also touch briefly on other opportunities like kegs and refillable glass.
Molly Sheppard | Assistant Winemaker & Environmental Manager at Spottswoode Estate
Born and raised in Victoria, Australia, Molly Burroughs has been surrounded by wine for most of her life. She attended Curtin University in Western Australia, completing a degree in Agribusiness, Viticulture, and Enology. After working in wineries in Victoria, Margaret River, and the Yarra Valley, Molly made her first trip to Napa Valley as an intern for the 2017 vintage and fell in love with the beauty and dynamic nature of Napa Valley and its wines. She returned in 2018 and joined the Spottswoode winemaking team as a harvest intern, becoming part of the team full time in 2019. Today, working alongside Aron, Molly helps to oversee the farming of the historic Spottswoode Estate Vineyard and the making of the winery’s acclaimed wines.
Molly combines her passion for winemaking with a passion for the environment. She holds a Certificate in Sustainable Business Strategy through Harvard Business School Online and, in addition to helping craft the wines in both the vineyard and the cellar, she manages Spottswoode’s B Corp certification and environmental initiatives, which includes measuring our GHG emissions as part of our IWCA membership. Molly also sits on the board of Napa Green and is involved in many other community driven environmental initiatives.
Michael Coode | Winemaker at Rutherford Hill
Michael Coode is a passionate and driven wine business professional with a wide breadth of experience including international winemaking, product development, facility management and global wine education expertise.
Coode’s experience spans 18 harvests across four countries and has resulted in the development of several outstanding products and brands. His experience includes tenure at the world-renowned Chateaux Margaux in Bordeaux, Paul Jaboulet Aîné in the Rhône Valley, Inglenook in Napa Valley, Inniskillin in Niagara, and Wolf Blass in Adelaide.
Integral to his success in developing innovative products and repositioning existing product lines has been Coode’s uniquely blended experience of old-world winemaking, technical background in wine research, and new-world business acumen.
Coode specializes in crafting distinctive wines from conception to market by leading cross-functional teams spanning production, marketing, operations, research, and customer preferences.
The decision to join Rutherford Hill was an obvious choice for Coode. “Rutherford Hill is an iconic winery in an idyllic location. I’m looking forward to working with such a dynamic and experienced team and learning about the many unique attributes this property has to offer as we set out to make world-class wines together.”
Coode has a Masters of Wine Business from the University of Adelaide and Bachelor of Applied Science in Wine Science from Charles Sturt University and resides in Angwin with his wife and two Labrador Retrievers.
Future of Wine in Kegs w/Free Flow Wines: More and more restaurants are offering wine in kegs, including R+D Kitchen and Kitchen Door. Join Rich Bouwer, Chief Executive Officer of Free Flow Wines and Barclay Webster, VP of Business Development & Trade at Free Flow Wines to learn about the opportunities and challenges to offering wine in kegs.
Rich Bouwer | Chief Executive Officer at Free Flow Wines
Chris works directly with MCE’s service area key commercial customers and business partners. Chris helps energy customers evaluate and adopt the MCE commercial programs and services that will help them ensure that they achieve their energy, financial, and sustainability objectives for their organizations and stakeholders.
Chris brings 15 years of customer engagement experience in demand side clean energy technologies and services to MCE. Prior to joining the Public Affairs team at MCE in May 2015, Chris worked in the renewable energy programs group at Constellation Energy and was an early member of the California team at EnerNOC (acquired by Enel) starting in 2007. At these companies, she helped some of California’s largest energy customers make decisions about demand response, energy efficiency, energy storage, and other demand side services. Prior to that, Chris worked in the technology industry in strategic alliances and international business development in both California and in Europe.
Barclay Webster | VP of Business Development & Trade at Free Flow Wines
Barclay was fortunate to discover his career path in the wine industry at the young age of 19, while a student at the University of British Columbia. Over the past couple decades, Barclay has gained experience in all three tiers of the U.S. industry and completed a “Wine MBA” at the University of Adelaide in Australia. His diverse experience and cross-functional expertise, enables Barclay to quickly assess scenarios, implement proven best practices where applicable and develop unique solutions to address unprecedented challenges as needed. Barclay is proud to currently be Vice President of Business Development at Free Flow Wines. His primary responsibility is helping On-Premise operators discover how wine on tap can greatly improve the profitability, service speed, and environmental sustainability of their by-the-glass wine programs. Barclay is incredibly passionate about sustainability and is an active member of the National Reuse Network and Climate Reality Project Bay Area Chapter.
Caren McNamara | CEO and Founder at Conscious Container
Caren founded Conscious Container, a California Benefit Corporation, to bring refillable glass bottle marketplace back into US economy and infrastructure to reduce single use packaging waste. After 20 years as a successful project and change management consultant Caren was inspired by the circular economy solution refillable bottles presented around the world. She conducted multiple proof-of-concept pilots proving the demand from consumers and beverage producers for a refillable packaging option. Caren quickly gained traction, collaboration with global and regional wine and beverage producers, glass manufacturers, policymakers, leading non-profits and now investors to scale this sustainable and economically viable refillable glass bottle business. On the side Caren loves mountain sports, traveling and inspiring conversations over a glass of wine with family, friends or anyone who wants to dialog about refillable bottles!
Tablas Creek Vineyard has long been recognized as a leader in Biodynamic and regenerative farming practices. In 2022, they became the first vineyard operation in the world to not only achieve Regenerative Organic Certification, but ROC Gold status. Less well known is their leadership implementing cutting edge packaging solutions. Tablas Creek approaches sustainability and climate action from soil to bottle, and even box. Jason Haas, the second-generation proprietor of Tablas Creek, recently penned an article titled, “Need another incentive to move to lightweight glass? How about $2.2 million over 14 years?” They not only moved to lightweight glass back in 2010, but they’ve put wine in stainless steel kegs, a few wines in bag-in-box (BIB), and eliminated the use of bottled water. We know that an average of 30-50% of winery emissions are attributable to packaging and distribution alone. Jason will share the story of their consumer-, retailer-, and distributor- facing initiatives and how they’ve built engagement.
Riley Sanchez | Enologist at Domaine Carneros
Domaine Carneros was awarded the RISE Leadership Award for Waste Prevention & Supply Chain for the breadth and depth of their work to reduce waste in their operations.
Once you’ve committed to being a sustainable, values-based business how do you engage your whole team and make it a part of your DNA? As you implement leading sustainable and climate action practices how do you best communicate these achievements to guests, retailers and distributors? How have other industry leaders approached PR campaigns and what have they learned?
Sarah Unger, Co-Founder of CULTIQUE, will share examples of how their cultural analysis has transformed management and communications strategies; Linzi Gay, President of Clif Family Winery & Farm, will share how they build internal community and support the broader community; and Janie Brooks Heuck, Managing Director of Brooks Winery, in the Willamette Valley, will share how they’ve used data and feedback to get employees and guests engaged in their sustainability story.
Anna Brittain | Executive Director at Napa Green
Anna Brittain is the Executive Director of Napa Green. Anna has worked locally, nationally and internationally on environmental management and policy with organizations ranging from the environmental economics think tank Resources for the Future in Washington, DC to the International Union for Conservation of Nature in Hanoi, Vietnam. She has spent a decade facilitating and growing sustainability in the wine industry, with an expertise in communications and certification standards. Anna has served as a lead sustainability consultant with Ontario Craft Wineries, Sustainable Winegrowing British Columbia, Crimson Wine Group, the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, and individual wineries including Benziger Family Winery and Seghesio Family Vineyards. She has helped lead the growth of the Napa Green program for over six years, and stepped into the position of Executive Director of the now independent non-profit in fall 2019. Anna has a Master’s of Environmental Science & Management from the Bren School at UC Santa Barbara and a BA in Political Science and Environmental Studies from Williams College.
Sarah Unger | Co-Founder at CULTIQUE
Sarah Unger is the Co-Founder of CULTIQUE, a cultural insights and strategy consultancy. Led by Unger and Founder/CEO Linda Ong, the premium boutique crafts bespoke cultural POVs for forward-looking businesses in media, entertainment, tech and consumer spaces. Launched in Fall 2020, CULTIQUE unites thought leaders, industry disruptors, academics, creatives and experts to maximize the impact of brands, content, and products in a world of constant change.
An award-winning cultural expert, Unger and her team of analysts are devoted to working with businesses such as AMEX GBT, Airbnb, YouTube, Apple, WarnerMedia, Disney/ABC, and NBCU navigate fast-changing times, recalibrate for new audiences, and cultivate growth in an uncertain world. Unger was named Media Play News’ 40 Under 40 list in October 2019 and has been a frequent commentator in media such as Forbes, Fortune, The Atlantic, and The Daily Beast.
Janie Brooks Heuck | Managing Director at Brooks Winery
Portland native Janie Brooks Heuck spent more than a decade in the health care industry before finding herself responsible for the business operations at Brooks Winery. Struck by the generosity and guidance from the Oregon wine community after her brother Jimi’s passing, Janie quickly realized the importance of Jimi’s lifework and has been keeping the Brooks boat afloat since 2004. Janie is passionate about Brooks, family, travel, and Riesling. She loves to golf, sail, work out, and take photos when she isn’t working. Her karaoke song is “Rapper’s Delight,” which is also Brooks Wine’s winemaker, Chris Williams’ karaoke song, yet none of us have witnessed either one of them on the mic. Can someone say duet?!
Linzi Gay | President at Clif Family Winery & Farm
Linzi Gay has 18 years of experience in the Wine & Spirits industry. Receiving a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo, Linzi went on to begin her marketing career in Brand Management at Clif Bar & Company. Having grown up in the Napa Valley, she returned to her roots in 2004 to learn the wine business working on some of the largest wine brands in the Napa Valley. In 2007, she returned to the Clif Family and their recent startup wine and food business. She has spent the last 16 years in a leadership role at the company, transitioning to President in 2022. She is an active member of the Wine Women GM Forum, an organization that supports and empowers women in the wine industry and serves on the boards of the Howell Mountain Vintners and Growers Association, the Oak Knoll District Growers Association and the St. Helena Chamber of Commerce.
H&A Barrel Management | Jeff Roman
For nearly 20 years, H&A has provided barrel management services to wineries and distilleries throughout the world. Conscious of the finite nature of oak barrels and the environmental impact of their use, they have made it their mission to extend the lifecycle of the barrels. H&A uses their financing solution as the vehicle to deliver their barrel management services, providing their partners with the necessary quality and traceability standards for each additional use of the barrels. H&A offers their partners a 100% barrel recycling guarantee. Their used barrel inventory can be used in variety of outlets based on age, condition, and quality. Their highest quality barrels are reused for winemaking, but they have options for older barrels as well. These barrels can transition into their seasoning program and eventually to distilleries as finishing barrels. Through these strategic global programs, H&A has been able to extend the lifecycle of the barrel to over 30 years for wineries of all sizes.
Free Flow Wines | Barclay Webster
As the pioneers of premium wine on tap, Free Flow’s mission is to deliver the freshest, best tasting, most sustainable glass of wine. Our keg leasing, filling and logistics services have allowed the wine and hospitality industries to move to a greener, fresher, better way to serve wine by the glass. We are passionate about what we do and always looking for new ways to think outside the bottle. Founded in 2009, Free Flow has more than 250 wine brands in keg from wineries throughout the world. Premium wines in Free Flow kegs and cans are available at restaurants, hotels, retail stores, sports and entertainment venues across the US. Free Flow Wines currently has locations in Sonoma, California and Bayonne, New Jersey.
Global Package | Erica Harrop
Global Package is distinguished by our highly creative technical expertise – offering outstanding and innovative products, versatile applications through sourcing from competitive Asian, European, and domestic markets and unsurpassed quality in service and support. We are the importer of the highly regarded Wild Glass™ developed by Estal Packaging, 100% post-consumer recycled glass in dark and light glass.
Green Cell Foam and Impackful Solutions | Heather Taber
Green Cell Foam is the leading protective insulation for wineries when it comes to safeguarding wine shipments. It is produced by TemperPack, the largest producer of sustainable cold chain materials for food and life sciences products in the U.S. The company’s mission is simple: protect products with materials that protect the planet. TemperPack was founded in 2015 to allow enterprises to ship perishable products without unnecessary plastic waste. Headquartered in Richmond, VA, with operations in Richmond, Holt, MI, Las Vegas, NV, and Reno, NV, the company develops and scales innovative solutions that disrupt unsustainable packaging technologies. TemperPack’s products protect millions of shipments every month.
Napa Recycling & Waste Services | Naama Brenner-Abramovitch
Napa Recycling is the recycling, compost, and garbage service provider for the City of Napa and southern Napa County, as well as the operator of the award-winning Napa Recycling & Composting Facility. Recycling and composting help save resources, energy, and money. They keep materials out of the landfill, provide jobs, combat climate change, and “close the loop” through the creation of new products out of recycled materials. Through Napa’s convenient recycling, composting & waste reduction programs, we all work together towards the ultimate goal of Zero Waste.
SaverGlass | Tonya Edwards
Did you know that the weight of wine bottles is 40% lighter than it was 15 years ago? In fact, today, nearly 9 in 10 (87%) of 75cl wine bottles fall under the light to medium weight category.
While glass packaging is one of the most sustainable packaging materials, the industry continues to innovate in terms of technology and design to further improve its environmental impact. With extensive lightweighting efforts, bottles can be made lighter while keeping all of their qualities.
Saverglass, the world’s leading manufacturer specializing in the production and decoration of luxury and high-end glass bottles.
Saxco | Lindsay Boudreaux
Saxco is a full-service packaging solutions provider. Serving the wine industry for decades, we combine our expertise, passion, and commitment to our customers’ success with the right products and services. Saxco is uniquely positioned as a single source supplier, offering standard glass bottles and cans to fully proprietary packaging solutions, and in-house services. We leverage a world-class global network of manufacturers to give our customers the surety of supply they can depend on.
A collective focus on sustainability is essential to our industry and our planet. Sustainable packaging options are here, and consumers are becoming more sensitive to carbon footprints when making purchasing decisions. Saxco can help you navigate this evolving landscape and achieve your sustainability goals through a sustainability consultation and emissions calculator for rigid packaging containers.
Teachers Resource Center | Sarah Vreeburg
The Tinfoil Recycling Project is an exciting endeavor. The idea centers on the concept of recycling tin capsules from wine bottles. TRCNB supplies participating wineries with collection buckets to recycle the tin from the neck of each wine bottle. We collect the donations on a quarterly basis or earlier as needed and deliver to a local recycling business.
Click below to see our growing list of 40+ participating wineries and restaurants and how you might get involved.
Thank you for Helping Teachers Help Kids.
TRUE Zero Waste | Stephanie Barger
TRUE certified spaces are environmentally responsible, more resource efficient and help turn waste into savings and additional income streams. By closing the loop, they cut greenhouse gases, manage risk, reduce litter and pollution, reinvest resources locally, create jobs and add more value for their company and community. TRUE also certifies events to improve their sustainability.
Upper Valley Disposal & Recycling | Andy Buck
Upper Valley Disposal & Recycling and Clover Flat Resource Recovery Park have been in operation for nearly 60 years. We proudly serve the community by processing waste, sorting and processing recyclable materials, and creating OMRI certified compost from organic material collected throughout the valley. The companies are environmental leaders recognized for their innovation and ingenuity by National Geographic, California Department of Food & Agriculture, CalRecycle, OMRI, among others.
Napa Green | Megan Scott
Napa Green is a global leader in sustainable winegrowing, setting the highest bar for sustainability and climate action in the wine industry. Napa Green facilitates systematic soil to bottle certification for wineries and vineyards, and provides the resources, tools and connections to continuously level up leadership. In 2021, Napa Green was the first sustainable winegrowing program in the world to redevelop Vineyard certification standards to focus on climate action, regenerative carbon farming, and social equity. In 2022, Napa Green and community partners launched a first of its kind, six-event Climate & Wine Symposium (Napa THRIVES now RISE) with over 65 speakers and 600 total guests.
