In the Vineyards
No Round Up | Low-Till Farming | Waste Composting
Sustainable wines begin in the vineyard. Our vineyards are treated with the utmost respect to ensure the fruit we grow is the truest expression of place. We practice a low to no-till system to not disturb the soil and instead, we have established a permanent cover crop of native grasses that nourish our soils and preserve the habitats for native bees & wasps. We utilize sheep for weed management instead of tractors or harsh pesticides, which have lower carbon outputs while boosting the soil health and fertility with their droppings. After harvest we compost the grape pomace and utilize it to replenish our vineyard soils, closing the circle on vineyard waste.
Integrated Pest Management
Natural Pest Management | Beneficial Insects | Culinary Gardens
Integrated pest management is a key promoting the natural life cycles in our vineyards, olive groves, and gardens. We have nesting sites for predatory owls, hawks, and swallows all around the property and have preserved the natural riparian habitats throughout the estate. Our extensive gardens and beneficial blooms bring in valuable insects and support our beehives that help pollinate the local flora and fauna. Our renowned culinary gardens help to diversify our agricultural land usage and are thoughtfully and intentionally planted in accordance with the seasons so our culinary team always has access to the most local, seasonal ingredients.
Water Conservation
More Efficient Equipment | Less Water Use | Wastewater Treatment
We have introduced more efficient equipment to reduce water usage in winemaking. Our new automated pumpover machines, larger presses, and a larger destemmer mean that we don’t need to wash and sanitize the equipment multiple times in the winemaking process and we can reduce our crush and press days, all of which help reduce our overall water usage. We’ve installed a BioFilter wastewater treatment system that employs earthworms to purify the winery wastewater so we can reuse 100% as landscape irrigation water.
Packaging
Light Weight Glass | North American Sourcing | Sustainable Shipping Materials
Beginning with our 2021 vintage, we’ve changed all of our red wines to lighter weight glass bottles. This change eliminates 65 tons of waste through the 25% reduction in the overall bottle weight. The new glass is also sourced from North America, significantly reducing its overall carbon footprint. We’ve also eliminated all styrofoam from our shipping materials, instead opting for sustainable and recyclable materials that will still ensure your wines arrive safely to your doorstep.
Facilities
Energy Efficient Swaps | Energy Use Monitoring | Clean, Renewable Energy
We’ve upgraded our light fixtures throughout the winery and administrative offices to LED energy-efficient bulbs, to reduce our kilowatt-hours by 14% and are continuing to find additional ways to reduce this usage across the property. We’re also working to evaluate the energy usage of our barrel room with a goal to enroll in the Deep Green Program which will enable us to source all of our energy from clean, renewable sources.
