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Eric Murray | Napa Valley Register
Since its founding in 1987, Domaine Carneros has made sustainability a priority. Founding winemaker and CEO emeritus Eileen Crane has made sure that the winery lives as lightly on the land as possible while producing top quality grapes and wine. Indeed, she believes that growing grapes and making wine sustainably actually makes better wine. She has led the winery to be on the cutting edge of numerous green, renewable, and climate-sensitive programs.
In recognition of these efforts, Crane and Domaine Carneros have been named as the Napa Climate NOW! 2020 Climate Champion in the Business category.
Design for Environment
The companyโs commitment to sustainability started in the beginning with the facility design phase. The production facility was built partly into the hillside to provide natural insulation and designed to make extensive use of skylights for lighting, and night cooling systems to save energy. Plumbing and irrigation were planned to reclaim and reuse two-thirds of the water. The cellar was designed and constructed to take advantage of gravity flow for wine movement.
In 2003, Domaine Carneros installed the largest solar collection system of any winery in the world. Back at a time when solar power was still largely viewed in the business sector as a hippie eccentricity, it captured enough energy to power 230 homes for a year (as measured in 2017).
Crane recalled, โI went to a conference where Paul Dolan (then from Fetzer) touted four solar panels on their office building. That got me thinking, we have so much sunshine here, it seems so logical. I work for a French company, so I went to them with the idea, and they said, โWeโve already looked at that and itโs not going to work.โ I said, โYeah, but youโre in Northern France โ weโre in sunny California!โ And they agreed.โ
As word spread about Domaine Carnerosโ solar installation, Crane received numerous calls from wineries and other businesses looking to go solar. Domaine Carneros became a model, freely offering assistance and practical advice. Work is now underway on a solar microgrid, to be completed in early 2021, which will supply Domaine Carneros with 75% of its energy needs and allow it to be self-sustaining during power outages.
Managing waste
Organic waste, when buried in landfills, is one of the largest sources of climate pollutants, primarily methane and carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. It is also an opportunity lost, since such wastes when properly managed on-site can produce healthy compost that can be recycled back into the soil, closing the loop and helping to sequester carbon.
In response, Domaine Carneros has been a strong advocate for composting. Its composting program, combined with programs for recycling and reuse, together divert more than 90% of its solid waste from landfills. The vineyards are farmed sustainably, with agricultural waste being recycled as mulch or feed for local cattle. Waste corks are repurposed into yoga mats, cork floors and shoe inserts, and proceeds go towards planting more cork trees in sustainably managed forests. Cardboard boxes and inserts are reused for in-house purposes, saving an average of $75,000 per year.
Engaging employees
A crucial component of any effective sustainability policy is involvement and buy-in from all of the employees. At Domaine Carneros, employee hiring is guided by principles of diversity, equity and inclusion, and its staff covers the spectrum in age, race, gender, and orientation.
For many years, Crane has managed the business based on principles of โopen-book management,โ in which all employees are encouraged and rewarded in having a say in the operations of the company.
โSome of the best green ideas have come from employees,โ Crane said. The composting program, converting grape waste to cattle feed and the waste cork and cardboard programs were all suggested and carried out by employees.
Crane retired in late 2020, and Remi Cohen has capably stepped into the role of CEO. A 20-year veteran of the local wine business, with experience at the helm of other Carneros properties, Cohen is keenly focused on furthering the wineryโs commitment to sustainability.
Domaine Carneros is certified Sustainable by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, Bay Area Green, Fish Friendly Farming and Napa Green Land & Winery.
Long recognized for its conservation efforts, Domaine Carneros received the 2019 California Green Medal Business Award and the Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership Award for โdemonstrating smart business through efficiencies, and innovation from implementing sustainable practices.โ
โNapa Climate NOW! is pleased to name Domaine Carneros a 2020 Climate Champion,โ said Dave Kearney-Brown, chairperson of county-wide climate non-profit. โIts deep commitment to sustainability, and a broad range of initiativesโ all of which help lower its carbon footprint โ make Domaine Carneros an exemplary business and a climate champion in the region.โ
Congratulations and thanks to Eileen Crane and Domaine Carneros for their visionary leadership in the wine industry.
Actions you can take
Donate toย Napa Greenย (http://34.229.46.156/donations/)
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/.
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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.
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๐ Do you want to learn more about what it means to be a Napa Green Certified Vineyard or Winery?
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Use the event link in our bio to register.
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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!
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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.
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Uniquely, Napa Green isnโt just a roadmap of leading practices. Napa Green provides an expert, boots-on-the-ground consulting team that develops:
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Regenerative Carbon Farm Plans (to enhance soil health, biodiversity, resilience, and carbon storage)
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Irrigation Distribution Uniformity Assessments (to maximize water efficiency)
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Integrated Resource Assessments (to reduce energy, water, waste and emissions in production)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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๐ @dominusestatewinery
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
