Menu
Rod Phillips | Nuvo Magazine
Napa Valleyย is green for much of the year, from spring, when the vines produce their new leaves, until autumn, when the leaves turn yellow before falling off and the vines settle in for their annual hibernation. But Napa Green, the regional sustainability program, is turning the valley metaphorically green year-roundโand not only the vineyards, but also the wineries, cellars, and all the commercial operations.
Like wine regions the world over, Napa Valley has adopted certification programs to help wine-producers do their bit to roll back environmental degradation and regenerate the land. Napa is a region where these issues are immediate. Periodic droughts threaten the viability of vineyards that rely on irrigation, and annual wildfires in the valley threaten to destroy vineyards and taint grapes with smoke residue.
Sustainability programs adopted by wineries are sometimes scorned as โgreenwashing.โ But Napa Valley wineries know they need to take meaningful action, and theyโve madeย Napa Greenย a leader in the wine industryโs move toward environmental responsibility. In the vineyard, it includes measures to reduce water use, prevent soil erosion, reduce harmful inputs such as chemicals, and protect the habitat. In the cellar, it means saving energy and water, reducing carbon footprints, and maximizing recycling.
Itโs what Anna Brittain, Napa Greenโs executive director, calls a soil to bottle programโand it literally involves bottles, as producers are encouraged to forsake the heavy glass bottles iconic red wines are often packaged in. Glass, Brittain says, accounts for a huge percentage of the industryโs carbon footprint. Lighter bottles are good for everyone, especially people who have to carry cases of wine, but we might see the progressive return of corks at the expense of the easy-to-removeย screwcapsย that have become so common in the last 20 years: cork is simply the bark of a tree that renews itself naturallyโan archetypal renewable resource, if ever there was oneโand corks can be recycled.
But Napa Green is not just about stuff, like glass, corks, and water. Itโs also about the people in Napaโs wine industry. Racial and gender equity policies are built into the standards for employment practices. They embrace hiring, opportunities for advancement, health care, and salaries. As with vineyard and cellar practices, the program enables wineries to measure their progress with personnel.
What does this mean in real terms for wineries? Jon Ruel, co-founder and CEO of Trefethen Vineyards, one of the early members of Napa Green, embraced it enthusiastically: โItโs a project about your land.โ An example of his sustainable measures: when one block of merlot was underperforming because the vines were too vigorous, he planted cover crops between the rows to โsteal waterโ from the vines. The vines soon balanced their foliage and grapes.
Ruel warns that โsustainability is not a destination; itโs a journey,โ and here heโs in agreement with Haley Duncan, a member of the family that owns Silver Oak Cellars and its safety and sustainability manager. Napa Green, she says, is not a set of fixed goals but will evolve. One of Silver Oakโs projects was to install enough solar panelsโ3,000 of themโto provide all the power for the winery. The winery has LEED Platinum certification.
Napa Green clearly benefits the environment and the people who work in Napa Valleyโs wineries, but do its effects extend to the contents of the bottle? Does sustainably produced wine taste better or even different? Jon Ruel thinks notโnot if you think of taste in the narrow sense. But if you think contextually, and you know that the wine youโre drinking was made with respect for the land, he says, โit doesnโt justย tasteย great, itย feelsย great!โ
These wines are produced by wineries certified by Napa Green:
Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay 2018 (Napa Valley)
Clos du Val Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 (Napa Valley)
Hall Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 (Napa Valley)
Hoopes Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 (Oakville, Napa Valley)
Revana Terroir Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 (Napa Valley)
Robert Mondavi The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 (To Kalon Vineyard, Oakville, Napa Valley)
Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 (Napa Valley)
Trefethen Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 (Napa Valley)
About Napa Green: The Napa Green 501c3 is a global leader in sustainable winegrowing, setting the highest bar for sustainability and climate action in the wine industry. Napa Green facilitates whole system soil to bottle certification for wineries and vineyards, and provides the expertise, boots-on-the-ground support, and resources to continually improve. Learn more atย https://napagreen.org/participating-members/.
Anna Brittain
Napa Green
+1 805-636-3329
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
LinkedIn
Instagram
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
