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Pam Strayer | The Tasting Panel
On the opening day of sustainable ยญwinegrowing organization Napa Greenโs RISE Climate & Wine Symposium in St. Helena, California, in April, keynote speaker Jancis Robinson talked about her visit to a glass factory and bemoaned heavyweight bottles. Across the street at Beringer Vineyards, Domaine Carneros CEO Remi Cohen led a workshop on how to build self-sufficient energy systems known as microgrids. And over at Charles Krug, electric-tractor maker Solectrac staged a tractor-charging demo.
The next day, renowned groundwaterยญdepletion expert Jay Famiglietti talked about how Californiaโs groundwater depletion accelerated at a rate of 31 % over the past two years of drought.
Two weeks later, Oregon regenerativeยญagriculture authority Mimi Casteel brought down the house with an inspirational speech about the need to think more holistically about production, for instance by considering hydrology cycles every bit as much as carbon.
Part teach-in and part call to action, RISE (risegreen.org) is only in its second year but has already become a hub for those seeking intelligent solutions to the challenges of warming temperatures, wildfire smoke, and other environmental impacts. The name stands for Resilience, Innovation, Sustainability, and Empowerment.
โBeyond the fires, the biggest climate-change impacts are drought and [the] increasing frequency and intensity of high-heat days. There is also rising pest pressure โฆ [plus] thereโs the cost of the smoke taint in 2020, with most people only making [no more than] 20% of their vintage. There [are] also the impacts of climate change in terms of rising rates of ecoยญdepression among youth,โ said Anna Brittain, executive director of Napa Green, who co-founded RISE with Martin Reyes, MW, in 2022.
She advocates for a broader definition of sustainability that goes beyond focusing on the environment. โAll too often, sustainability is simply equated with environmental stewardship, but in fact sustainability rests on three pillars: people, planet, and prosperity,โ Brittain said by way of defining the standards for Napa Greenโs certification proยญgram, which cover six areas that each merited a half-day of programming at RISE: energy efficiency and savings; water efficiency and savings; waste prevention and supply chain; proactive farming, soil health, and biodiversity; social justice, diversity, and inclusion; and climate action and regenerative agriculture.
As a world-class wine region, Napa is uniquely positioned to be a leader in climate resilience, Brittain explained in a promotional video for RISE. โWe have market sway because of the sexiness and the spotlight that is on Napa County and the Napa Valley. Our commitment to sustainability sets a standard that is recognized by the global wine industry โฆ and the marketplace.โ
The uniquely structured event included a wide variety of gatherings, from speeches by big names to more intimate talks about adopting new technologies or practices to demonstraยญtions by local specialists. This enabled attendees to pick and choose, as at a buffet: They could dip into an event and not have to take several days away from their day job, or they could take a deep dive for a rich experience. Either way, a key goal was to help attendees develop relationships that extend over time to deepen learning and grow knowledge networks.
โWe bring in the doers and the thinkยญers and bring them together to bridge the gap that is sometimes lost between the research and the implementation,โ said Ben Mackie, Napa Greenโs vineyard program manager. โAnd sometimes those conversations can bring people beyond their comfort level. โฆ Thatโs really where people are most likely to learn and grow.โ
Each day featured a marquee address, hands-on workshops, and more along with a vendor fair repreยญsenting the latest technology in support of the dayโs theme. After the sessions, there was a free lunch to encourage more connection and collaboration. Attending in person enables more social interaction and community building, organizers noted; that said, videos of the talks are posted online for anyone to view (napagreen.org/events-workshops).
For Martin Reyes, MW, that comยญmunity building is both the root and the reinforcer of sustainability and change. โI initially thought, โOh, gee, a lot of people are doing great work, letโs get them all together. Letโs get them talking โฆ. Letโs not work in silos. Letโs break down barriers. That was the initial thing. And thatโs still true,โ Reyes said. โ[But] I found the bigger power, the bigger strength of this is โฆ the sense that weโre in this together-that weโre part of something larger โฆ. What [fuels] us is the friendships and relationships that hadnโt been there before or had been more tenuous.โ
Added Brittain, โRISE is that opportunity to leverage the platform that we have here โฆ to bring together powerful voices from well beyond Napa County and to really spread our message and spread our leadership and help inspire others to achieve ever-higher levels of sustainability and climate action.โ
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
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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
