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Hello Napa Green Community,
As you’re coming up for air after harvest, we have some important updates and opportunities to share. In large part this newsletter is about “companion plants,” as Grgich has termed them, or weeds.
In our pursuit to set the highest bar for sustainability and climate action in the wine industry, we are once again evolving our leadership by announcing we are the first sustainable winegrowing certification globally to require the phaseout of glyphosate/Roundup by Jan. 1, 2026, and the full suite of synthetic herbicides by Jan. 1, 2028. All of the details, resources, events and opportunities to learn more are below.
This program evolution is one notable element of biennial updates we’ve made to both the Napa Green Vineyard and Winery standards – we’ve made some edits, additions, and expanded resources. For anyone newly certifying, or members coming up for recertification, the latest edition of the standards are available. As always, our team is ready and waiting to provide boots-on-the-ground support.
Enjoy your holiday feast next week, and may all of your family behave. Then consider joining us on Nov. 30 for a rarely available Implicit Bias training with Nikki Silvestri of Soil and Shadow at Dominus Estate, and again on Dec. 7 for a Town Hall happy hour at St. Supéry Estate to get all the details on our program updates.
We can’t wait to get a taste of the 2023 vintage! We’re very proud of our own Meghan Vergara for launching an M Rosé sparkline wine. Yeeees!
More soon, Anna Brittain
Hopefully, you’ve seen our Nov. 14 press release, “Napa Green Becomes First Sustainable Winegrowing Certification to Require Phaseout of Roundup, Providing Toolkit and Financial Incentives.” As we say, sustainability is a path, not a destination. Leadership must continually evolve.
Among some biennial updates to our standards, we have made a significant change in our Prohibited & Restricted Pesticides list. We will work hand in hand with our grower members to make this transition.
*There will be a limited opportunity for variances under exceptional circumstances where farm conditions (e.g., >5% slope, rocky soils, narrow vine rows) may make herbicide-alternatives cost-prohibitive. Variances based on these conditions are not guaranteed. Requests will be considered by a peer review committee.
We’ve created a custom Weed Management Toolkit, which includes:
Matching Funds: In the next few weeks, we’ll be putting out a call for applications for matching funds to support sustainability and climate action, including herbicide phaseout.
Mentorship: For our certified members, we are cultivating a group of mentors to provide peer-to-peer input and advice.
Town Hall: Please join us for a happy hour event on Dec. 7 at St. Supery Estate to hear more about these program updates, and hear from peers with extensive herbicide-free viticultural experience, including hillsides. More details and registration below.
I know we’re all feeling the effects of inflation and rising costs of living. Napa Green hasn’t made any adjustments to program costs since 2021. We are now making some small 10-15% increases to our Vineyard Certification costs, Winery Integrated Resource Assessment costs, and annual Licensing fees.
Please note:
Vineyard Certification and Integrated Resource Assessment costs are invoiced as you receive services. Annual Licensing Fees are invoiced in March.
We hope you fully leverage and value the boots-on-the-ground regenerative farming and climate action consulting services that our team provides. If you have any questions about these changes please contact Anna Brittain, Executive Director, anna@napagreen.org.
November 30 | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm – Implicit Bias Training at Dominus Estate with Nikki Silvestri, CEO, Soil and Shadow. This is a rare opportunity with an incredible DEI leader. Join us to explore what regenerative farming systems can teach us about regenerative social systems. Learn more and Register here.
December 7 | 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm – Town Hall at St. Supéry Estate. Join our team for happy hour wine and snacks and learn more about program updates. This will include an informal panel discussion with Ivo Jeramaz (Grgich Hills), Ashley Anderson Bennett (Cain), and one other discussing herbicide-free vineyard management, tools, costs, benefits, ROI. Learn more and Register here.
January 18 | 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm – Grower Roundtable: Takeaways from 2023 at Alpha Omega. Producers have been subjected to a rollercoaster recently- from an extremely early harvest in 2022 due to heat, to one of the latest memorable harvests in 2023 due to a cool growing season. Join us, along with industry-leading winegrowers and vintners, to discuss the 2023 season and the techniques in the vineyard and cellar that can aid in adapting to the new norm of climatic extremes. Registration Coming Soon.
February 15 | 9:00 am – 1:30pm – Weed Management: Equipment, Tools & Grazing at Inglenook. Learn from Inglenook and others about equipment and tools being used for herbicide-free and organic weed management. See tools in action and ask questions. Then hear from Perennial Grazing about the benefits of sheep in the vineyard, and the essential importance of proper management. In addition, hear from Sarah Keiser with Wild Oat Hollow about the use of goats for adjacent land management and fire fuel thinning. We’ll look at a forested area and talk about potential prescriptions. Learn more and Register here.
If you haven’t yet, get your Napa Green shirt! FOMO on fashion!
On November 28, jump into the global generosity movement of Giving Tuesday. Napa Green is an extremely lean nonprofit organization, and we need to grow our team so we can expand our direct implementation support. Community contributions truly mean so much to us, and every donation is tax deductible.
Make a donation here, and know that in our office we’ll be doing a little happy dance.
Compost Connecter: Growers can apply for a compost reimbursement from approved facilities. You must have official approval from Zero Foodprint before your compost order. Rolling applications. https://www.
Napa Green partnered with three champion members to host a series of wine benefit dinners in April that raised a pool of matching funds for industry sustainability and climate action projects. We will be sharing qualifying projects and opening a call for applications in Sept/Oct. A total of $60,000 will be distributed to growers and vintners that show the greatest financial need and opportunity for change and impact. Rolling applications begin October 2023.
CDFA HSP & SWEEP: The California Department of Food & Agriculture is piloting a block grant program for the Healthy Soils and State Water Efficiency & Enhancement Program funding. This means that regional government agencies and ag nonprofits can apply for a lump sum of funds, and these organizations will then process farmer applications and administer funds to eligible growers. Napa Green is not applying because, unfortunately, no funding is included for administration. We will keep you updated if another regional organization receives a block grant. CDFA plans to reopen the HSP and SWEEP direct grower applications again this fall. Napa Green staff will be available to assist with applications and implementation.
Recognition Of Napa Green Certified Vineyards for CCSW-Labeled Wines
Napa Green Vineyard is now a recognized program for grapes included in Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW) wines. This means that grapes grown in Napa Green Certified Vineyards can count toward the 85% threshold of certified sustainable fruit for CCSW-marketed wines using the logo on the label.
Napa Green members interested in this option will have to take one additional step: The interim desk audits at the end of years 1 & 2 will need to be led by a third-party auditor (as opposed to our vineyard team), with an hourly cost (typically $150/hr for 3-4 hours of work), who will provide an independent audit report. Napa Green will provide both you and CCSW with a verification letter confirming that annual third-party audits have been completed.
Please note, this does not mean that Napa Green Certified Vineyards will have dual certification with CCSW. That would require additional steps, which can be explored if interested.
The application for the California Green Medal
Twelve Napa Green members have been recognized with the California Sustainable Winegrowing Green Medal award since its inception in 2015.
The California Green Medal is presented by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, California Association of Winegrape Growers, Wine Institute, Lodi Winegrape Commission, Napa Green, Napa Valley Vintners, Sonoma County Winegrowers and Vineyard Team.
We are excited to announce a new Napa Green Regeneration Sponsor, Lallemand Plant Care. Lallemand were Exclusive Event sponsors for the 2022 & 2023 RISE (formerly THRIVES) Climate & Wine symposiums. We look forward to more collaboration with them to pilot biologicals to improve soil and plant health.
If you are interested in being a Napa Green sponsor, please see our Sponsorship Deck.
Napa Green is grateful to our sponsors, who help fund our expanding operations and programs. If you are interested in becoming a Napa Green Sponsor please reach out to Napa Green Executive Director, Anna Brittain.
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.
🎥 @robot_productions
#earthday #earthdayeveryday #earthmonth #climateaction #sustainabilty #climatesmart #regenerativeag
🍴Wednesday 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 isn’t just a roadmap of leading practices. Napa Green provides an expert, boots-on-the-ground consulting team that develops:
✅ Regenerative Carbon Farm Plans (to enhance soil health, biodiversity, resilience, and carbon storage)
✅ Irrigation Distribution Uniformity Assessments (to maximize water efficiency)
✅ Integrated Resource Assessments (to reduce energy, water, waste and emissions in production)
✅ 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.
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
📷 @buddsocial
📍 @tressabores
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness
Napa Green’s 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 vineyard’s goal is to become carbon neutral (or negative) and increase the resilience of vineyards, businesses, and our community.
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
📷 @soilrainandhope
📍 @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.
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
📷 @briana_marie
📍 @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 world’s 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.
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
📷 @abrittain
📍 @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 $$$.
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
📍 @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 it’s the equivalent to offsetting the emissions from driving over 1.5 million miles in a typical gas-powered car!
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
📷 @love.dream.breathe
📍 @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.
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness #greenpurchasing #supplychain
Napa Green Certified Vineyards implement climate-smart burn practices, such as Conservation Burning, Flame Cap Kilns, and Air Curtain Burners. These practices reduce smoke and emissions and create biochar. Biochar is re-fossilized wood that provides long-term carbon storage. Even more compelling, when inoculated and applied with compost, biochar aids in water retention and increases water and fertilizer efficiency.
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
📍 @gloriaferrerwinery
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness
Napa Green Certified Vineyards implement practices to create habitat for beneficial wildlife, including bluebirds, owls, bats, and raptors. Members may also install boxes and perches if trees or other natural perches aren’t present to encourage these animals in the vineyard. These measures are part of a broader commitment to sustainable and regenerative farming practices.
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
📷 @soilrainandhope
📍 @tressaboreswinery
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness #biodiversity
While vineyards don’t directly require pollination, pollinators still play a vital role in the overall health of our ecosystems. Increased biodiversity leads to better soil health, water retention and can attract beneficial insects. Plus, pollinators are friend shaped! 🐝
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
📷 @soilrainandhope
📍 @grgichhills
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness #biodiversity
Join us @earthdaynapa tomorrow, April 12 at the wine booth to try some sustainable wines!
All proceeds for to the Environmental Education Coalition of Napa County’s Field Trip Bus Grant Program and the Darcy Aston Scholarship.
#earthday #earthmonth #earthdayeveryday #sustainablewine #climatesmartwine
Carbon storage is inherently site-specific, tied to unique combinations of soil types, microclimates, historical farming practices, and more. Napa Green Certified Vineyards leverage soil sampling to validate the on-the-ground impacts of their regenerative farming methods.
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
📷 @growresiliently
📍 @sixsigmaranch
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness
Green teams offer a multitude of benefits, ranging from enhanced employee engagement and a culture of sustainability to cost savings and improved environmental performance.
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
📷 @kikimrobinson
📍 @charleskrugwinery
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness
Napa Green Vineyard members located along waterways maintain and enhance riparian areas for wildlife habitat, erosion control, creek/river health and carbon storage.
✅ Napa Green members implement over 120 best practices in both the Vineyard and Winery. This Earth Month, learn about 21 of them with “21 Days, 21 Ways” counting down to Earth Day.
📷 @briana_marie
📍 @dominusestatewinery
#21days21ways #earthmonth #earthday #climateaction #regenerativevineyard #climatesmart #sustainablewine #regenerativeag #environmentalleadership #wineindustry #winebusiness
