Photo courtesy of Frog's Leap Winery
Sustainability is a term that gets tossed around a lot these days, and through the noise the significance of the term can be lost. So, we wanted to recognize 10 Napa Valley wineries that have successfully achieved and maintained sustainability initiatives, and highlight what exactly about their facilities, vineyards, winemaking, production, and greater mission makes them so sustainable.
Here are 10 sustainable wineries to visit in Napa Valley.
Photos courtesy of Markham
2812 St. Helena Highway North, Napa, CA 94574, (707) 963-5292
Renowned for its focus on Bordeaux varietals, notably Merlot, Markham encompasses over 260 acres in Napa’s Calistoga, Yountville, and Oak Knoll AVAs. Since being founded 45 years ago by Jean Laurent, who left Bordeaux for California originally in search of gold, Markham has continued its heritage of making quality Bordeaux varietals from quality estate fruit.
Sustainable farming practices are at the heart of Markham’s philosophy. The winery earned its Napa Green Winery Certified designation by utilizing several sustainable practices, such as minimal tilling, planting cover crops, and water conservation efforts. Many of the cover crops, planted between the vineyards, are pollinated by the winery’s own bees, which help to replenish the soil in a natural way. In addition, wind and solar energy power the winemaking process and Markham’s recycling program focuses on U.S. made packaging.
1473 Yountville Cross Road, Yountville, CA 94599, (707) 944-8642
Renowned in the wine world for the estate’s “Rock Blocks”—vine blocks dedicated to some of founder Cliff Lede’s favorite rock songs and albums to differentiate the vineyards during redesign—Cliff Lede Vineyards focuses on producing estate wines from their 60 acres in the Stags Leap District.
In 2015, both their winery and vineyards were awarded a Napa Green Certification, which recognizes farming and production methods that meet and exceed more than 20 local, state, and federal “best practices.” Some of these practices include conversion to no tillage to reduce erosion between vines, recycling of winery process water for landscaping, the use of solar panels to reduce energy use by 90%, and vineyard workers being employed year-round for full-time employment benefits.
Photos courtesy of Clif Family Winery
709 Main Street, St Helena, CA 94574, (707) 968-0625
Since its founding in 2004 by Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford, Clif Family Winery & Farm has garnered a dedicated following for its organically farmed wines, thoughtful pairings, and specialty foods cultivated in Napa Valley.
From the start, Clif Family Winery has remained steadfast in its commitment to sustainable practices that support its people, planet, and community. The winery’s unwavering dedication to these values has paved the way to its B Corp Certification, a prestigious recognition demonstrated through its numerous initiatives. These initiatives include earning the Napa Green Vineyards certification for their Certified Organic vineyards, operating the winery with 100% renewable electricity, and utilizing reusable, recyclable, or compostable shipping and packaging materials, among others. With this esteemed B Corp status, Clif Family Winery joins the ranks of only a select few companies in the wine industry to have received such an accolade.
5901 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA 94558, (800) 575-9777
With such an extensive reach in Napa Valley—Pine Ridge Vineyards has invested in 160 acres of estate vineyards since its founding in 1978—the winery feels responsible as stewards of the land.
The in-house Green Team is committed to preserving the ecosystem not just of their vineyards but of the entire region, as demonstrated by their Napa Green certification. They follow Fish Friendly Farming practices, recapture rain water, reduce erosion by winterizing vineyards, and in the summer dry season, their vineyard roads are wetted down with organic wetting agents to control road dust. They also set their lights on a timer, use drip irrigation and 89% of their material is recycled or diverted from landfills.
Photos courtesy of Cakebread Cellars
8300 St. Helena Highway, Rutherford, CA 94573, (800) 588-0298
Cakebread Cellars is best known for its Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, but perhaps is better known for its dedication to family. Always a family-owned and operated Napa winery, the catalyst behind their sustainability practices is rooted in protecting the land for future generations of winemakers.
Cakebread Cellars places a particular emphasis on preserving local wildlife through commitments like integrated pest management that encourages falcons for bird control, establishing wildlife corridors, and reducing runoff. Their dedication is further obvious as a Napa Green Certified winery and in their designation in both Bee and Fish Friendly Farming practices. Replacing traditional farming equipment with electric tractors and monitoring for soil moisture and vine stress to determine precise irrigation needs are a few other ways they extend their appreciation of the natural world. But their green initiatives don’t end in the vineyard. Heating and cooling in the cellar are provided by micro-turbines, while their parking lot was created with permeable pavers that allow water to drain to the underlying gravel bed.
401 St. Helena Highway South, St. Helena, CA 94574, (707) 967-2626
Though HALL may be globally distinguished for its quality and award-winning wines, they are as outstanding for their We CARE commitment, believing in responsible entrepreneurship and giving back across the four categories of community, arts, responsible business practices, and entrepreneurship.
We CARE encompasses the family’s active green and sustainable initiatives across their three luxury wine brands, HALL, WALT, and BACA. Major sustainability achievements date back to 2009 when HALL’s St. Helena property earned LEED Gold for its fully sustainable production facility. Since then, HALL was also awarded LEED Gold Certification for its St. Helena tasting room and high-tech production facility. HALL Family Wines’ 12 Estate Vineyards are Certified Sustainable by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) and two of their vineyards are certified organic by CCOF. Another detail we love, every year all employees are given 40 hours to volunteer for a charitable organization.
Photos courtesy of Frog’s Leap Winery
8815 Conn Creek Road, Rutherford, CA 94573, (707) 963-4704
Balance, restraint, and respect for terroir is Frog’s Leap Winery’s philosophy, driven by owner John Williams’ tutelage under some of Napa’s great winemakers.
In the spirit of his belief that grapevines are sentient beings, capable of an intuition that carries them happily through every seasonal phase, Frog’s Leap Winery shoos away modern farming practices like synthetic fertilizers and restrictive trellising in favor of a more natural approach that celebrates the vine—a practice that they’re convinced also leads to better tasting wine. Just some of their green initiatives include dry farming, an age-old practice that encourages the roots to grow deep, and farming with biodiversity in mind. Of course, all of their estate vineyards are certified organic by the CCOF, but their sustainable practices also extend to their team, who are full-time, year-round employees.
875 Rutherford Road, Rutherford, CA 94573, (707) 302-2575
Since the early 1980s, Round Pond made a name in Napa Valley for its premium wine grapes sold to some of the most cult wineries in the region and for their extremely limited production of estate Cabernet Sauvignon.
Following the belief that “sustainable wines begin in the vineyard,” Round Pond Estate focuses on three prongs of sustainability—people, place, and purpose. They foster a positive and educational work environment for their team working in the Napa Green Certified vineyards and established a permanent crop cover of native grasses to nourish their soils (rather than using a till system). They compost grape pomace and reuse it to replenish vineyard soils and use integrated pest management. In their buildings, Round Pond has upgraded their light fixtures to LED energy-efficient bulbs, reducing their kilowatt hours by 14%. And their purpose extends to supporting the local Napa community, which the Estate gives back to the Alzheimer’s Association through funding and awareness.
360 Howell Mountain Road, Angwin, CA 94508, (707) 965-2746
From the beginning, CADE Estate Winery’s three founders envisioned a contemporary winery that would honor the Oakville land aesthetically and ecologically.
The winery was built out of 98% recycled materials (including the naturally insulated fermentation room and the tasting room that’s insulated by materials like blue jeans) and was Napa Valley’s first LEED Gold Certified estate winery. The Howell Mountain estate vineyard is organically farmed and certified CCOF and both the winery and the land are Napa Green Certified for achieving sustainability and conservation.
Photos courtesy of Spottswoode Estate
1902 Madrona Avenue, St. Helena, CA 94574, (707) 963-0134
Known for its serendipitous story—the first Cabernet Sauvignon was released in 1982, exactly 100 years after the estate’s founding—Spottswoode Estate honors its heritage as much as it’s committed to its future.
Having started organic farming in 1985, the winery is among one of the first in Napa Valley to acquire the CCOF certification (in 1992). The vineyard and winery are Napa Green Certified and the estate is Certified Biodynamic, using biodynamic specialists to ensure the vineyards and surrounding land continue to function as a living ecosystem.
It’s clear that, while sustainability is a trendy term in the world of wine, these vineyards have dedicated themselves to producing an excellent end result without sacrificing the natural environment. From small cures like switching to LED energy-efficient light bulbs, to large-scale infrastructure changes like planting a permanent crop cover of native grasses, every little bit counts when it comes to green initiatives in Napa. Cheers to that.
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