Menu
At Schweiger, sustainability is a way of life. The property has a 55-acre footprint, including 35 acres of vineyard located near forests, streams, and a diverse and thriving animal habitat. Our vineyard and winery are our legacies, and we want to be the best stewards of the land we are blessed to own. This means that we need to farm in such a way that we are improving the environment and health of the land each year.
SOIL MANAGEMENT
Based on steep elevations with varied terrain, it is essential that we employ a variety of sustainable methods to preserve the land and ecosystem while enhancing vine health and wine quality.
Our vines and terraces are cut to follow hillside contours, which helps to reduce erosion. During winter months, rice straw is placed on steep hillsides to prevent erosion and loss of topsoil. Using water bars and trenches, we channel water runoff during the rainy season to prevent soil from washing away. Capturing rain-fall and directing it into our reservoir also allows us to save water while preserving the earth. Being dry-farmed means we only water our vines when they are young until they have reached a stage where their root system is well developed and can โfend for themselves.โ Not only does this conserve water but produces better quality fruit.
Each year, all vine cuttings and plant materials are recycled back into the land to supply vital nutrients the vines need.
ECO-FRIENDLY HABITAT
Working with nature, not against it, is our goal. We have placed nesting boxes for bluebirds, built in conjunction with a local elementary school during their study of habitats, throughout the vineyard. This species is native to the area and plays a vital role in controlling the insect population that can damage vines; a healthy bluebird population results in a pesticide-free estate. Because of the forest that surrounds the vineyard, we also have a healthy population of owls and red-tailed hawks who help keep the rodent population in check. By partnering with local schools, we are also educating the next generation on the importance of sustainable farming.
EMPLOYMENT
We have a trained vineyard crew that works with us year-round. They know our vineyard and methods, providing the continuity needed for successful farming practices. This also provides economic stability to our workers. Some of our vineyard workers have been with us for over ten years. We are grateful for their hard work, loyalty, and expertise. We are honored to be able to provide them with above-and-beyond healthcare and employment opportunities.
We provide a complete benefits package to our entire vineyard and winery staff along with their families.ย We want to ensure a healthy and happy team while they are employed with us as well as into retirement.ย We believe in making amazing wine while treating people with the highest integrity.
OPERATIONS
We have been 100% solar powered since 2007. In addition, we have made changes around the facility that help reduce the amount of energy we use. Two examples are moving to LED light fixtures and insulating our pipes to keep water hot and glycol for refrigeration cold. We also worked with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to replace older tractors with more efficient ones. We also participate in MCE Deep Green, ensuring that any electricity we purchase off the grid during peak hours comes only from renewable sources such as wind, geothermal, and solar.
We source our office supplies for waste management to maximize our use of post-consumer recycled paper products. We are also utilizing compostable products, returning them to the soil, not adding them to landfills. Recycling is a way of life for us. Even during times like bottling, when refuse production is abundant, we carefully segregate cardboard, paper, glass, etc., to maximize our recycling potential.
ESTATE BOTTLED, A ROOT TO GLASS PHILOSOPHY
In the USA, the term โestate bottledโ is defined by law and the wine must be made from grapes sourced from vineyards owned or controlled by the producer, made in their facility, and bottled at the producerโs winery. In other words, estate-bottled wines are made with farmed, fermented, aged, and bottled on-site grapes. This gives us control of every step of the process and eliminates the carbon emissions from trucking wine all over the state. Most importantly, by growing our own fruit, we can guarantee consistent quality year in and year out.
We cleared the land and laid out the vineyard to preserve topsoil and the surrounding ecosystem. We tend the vineyards ourselves. Most winemakers donโt walk the vineyard until days before ripeness. Andy Schweiger, our winemaker, and Fred Schweiger, our owner, are out there year-round, participating in day to day vineyard activities.
Quality starts with the grapes in the vineyard. We pick clean for optimal flavor and quality. We sort out in the vineyard, discarding all leaves, rocks, and other debris to the best of our ability. All wine is made in our facility, where we control every step of the process and taste the wine through each stage of evolution. When the wine is ready, we bottle it on-site, at our own pace, and on our schedule.
certified winery
winery
โญ๏ธ Steal this itinerary!
Cheers to Climate Smart Wines Month is back this July and we couldnโt be more excited!
We have built some truly fabulous and sustainable experiences which you can find on www.napagreen.org and this year we have included hotels as well!
Tag us in your posts when you visit our amazing Napa Green Certified wineries so we can share your Green adventures!
Team Green is thoroughly enjoying visiting a few of our Napa Green Certified wineries today! ๐ฑ
Pictured here are the STUNNING new Sky Lofts at @rutherfordhillwinery. We strongly recommend a visit, itโs spectacular!
Wondering what this sign hung outside of the winery that you work at means? Want to be able to talk more about what it means to be @napagreen certified??
Join the Napa Green Ambassador training at Clos du Val on Wednesday, June 25 from 9-11 am to learn the answers and more.
Tickets are free but space is limited so reserve your spot from the Workshops & Events link in our bio.
#climateaction #napagreen #napagreencertified #climatesmartwinery #regenerativeag #regenerativefarming
๐ Do you want to learn more about what it means to be a Napa Green Certified Vineyard or Winery?
๐ Do you have new team members who still arenโt sure what that Napa Green Certified sign hanging out front actually means?
๐ Are you curious about this term thatโs suddenly popping up everywhere โ regenerative?
๐ Want to know what exactly does it mean to be climate smart?
Join us Wednesday, June 25, 2025 @closduval to learn how to talk about being @napapagreen certified.
Use the event link in our bio to register.
#climateaction #wineindustry #wineindustryleadership #climatesmart #sustainablewine #sustainablewinery #regenerativevineyard #regenerativeag
๐ข Attn Wineries!! Today is last day to sign up for the Cheers to Climate Smart Wines this July!
Email winery@napagreen.org to sign up today!
Thank you all for making RISE Climate & Wine Symposium a success! We 70 powerful speakers and 650 guests across the six events, dozens of commitments to action, and a flood of positive, heartfelt feedback.
Letโs keep the momentum going!
๐ธ: @briana_marie
Congratulations to Napa Green Certified @cliffamily for winning the RISE Leadership Award for Supply Chain & Waste Management Excellence!
Clif Family attended our first conference & committed to reducing their bottle weight and waste. They set upon an inspiring journey to change their packaging based on their outdoors loving and mountaineering inspired founders. They were able to..
โข lighten the weight of a case of their wine by almost 8 lbs!
โข reduce their carbon output by 42 metric tons!
โข institute fully recyclable, bio based shippers that keep wine cool!
โข eliminate all foils!
โข eliminate all plastic & metal moving fully to renewable cork enclosures!
Their customers responded with absolute enthusiasm.
โThis story is not just about wine packaging or supply chain decisions. Itโs about how we do business. Itโs leading with values. Itโs about remembering that the best way to climb higher.. is to carry less.โ - Sarah Richmond, Clif Family Winery.
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.
๐ฅ @robot_productions
#earthday #earthdayeveryday #earthmonth #climateaction #sustainabilty #climatesmart #regenerativeag
๐ดWednesday April, 23rd is the day NOT to miss lunch at @cliffamily!!
Come enjoy delicious food while supporting Napa Green! See you there.
Uniquely, Napa Green isnโt just a roadmap of leading practices. Napa Green provides an expert, boots-on-the-ground consulting team that develops:
โ
Regenerative Carbon Farm Plans (to enhance soil health, biodiversity, resilience, and carbon storage)
โ
Irrigation Distribution Uniformity Assessments (to maximize water efficiency)
โ
Integrated Resource Assessments (to reduce energy, water, waste and emissions in production)
โ
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.
โ
Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with โ21 Days, 21 Waysโ counting down to Earth Day.
๐ท @buddsocial
๐ @tressabores
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness
Napa Greenโs 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 vineyardโs goal is to become carbon neutral (or negative) and increase the resilience of vineyards, businesses, and our community.
โ
Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with โ21 Days, 21 Waysโ counting down to Earth Day.
๐ท @soilrainandhope
๐ @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.
โ
Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with โ21 Days, 21 Waysโ counting down to Earth Day.
๐ท @briana_marie
๐ @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 worldโs 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.
โ
Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with โ21 Days, 21 Waysโ counting down to Earth Day.
๐ท @abrittain
๐ @seaveyvineyard
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness
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 $$$.
โ
Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with โ21 Days, 21 Waysโ counting down to Earth Day.
๐ @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 itโs the equivalent to offsetting the emissions from driving over 1.5 million miles in a typical gas-powered car!
โ
Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with โ21 Days, 21 Waysโ counting down to Earth Day.
๐ท @love.dream.breathe
๐ @corisonwinery
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness #renewableenergy #greenpower #greenenergy
As part of their commitment to sustainability, Napa Green Certified Winery members collaborate with key suppliers and utilize their purchasing power to support eco-friendly practices. In the same way, we can make a difference at home by choosing materials made from post-consumer recycled materials, and selecting reusable, recyclable, compostable, biodegradable, and non-toxic products.
โ
Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with โ21 Days, 21 Waysโ counting down to Earth Day.
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness #greenpurchasing #supplychain
