Welcome back to the green scene on the Planet Forward Green Gazette. Hope that your New Year is off to a good start and that the green shoots of optimism are finding a way into your life. We’ve a new decade to get working on and a planet to help out by sharing eco ideas and news – so let’s get right to it.

The scope of industries that can become more eco-friendly is practically without limits and I wanted to write about the wine industry of Northern California. Behind France, Italy and Spain the USA is now the 4th largest wine producer in the world and Northern California vineyards make up the vast majority of that production. The valleys of Sonoma and Napa not only produce some wonderful wine but I must add that it is one of the most beautiful regions of the country I’ve ever been lucky enough to visit. To learn that many of these wineries are making a significant progression towards becoming more eco-friendly makes the region more attractive than ever in my eyes. Leading the pack Cade Winery are about to be awarded Gold status under the LEED certification for their green practices. The achievements they have made are remarkable (as this pdf shows) but the highlights include: 99% of all energy from solar panels, 67% reduction in water consumption, ‘cool roof’ construction to reduce heat island impact, stringent recycling program for all construction, all landscaping water is recycled, all flooring is in renewable and sustainable cork. The full list is much longer but the commitment to green practices is impressive to say the least. Cade aren’t the only vineyard making such strides however - Kendall Jackson have made a huge commitment to water conservation processes that are seen as crucial in a part of the state were rainfall has been at drought levels for the last 3 consecutive years.

Interestingly some of the techniques being used by wineries are by no means new in their invention. In a case of looking backward to go forward some practices that date back decades or even centuries are the fastest route to making this oldest of crops more eco-friendly. For example in the hills of Napa and Sonoma exist ideal topography for tunneling caves for storage. Some of the most historic vineyards already

There's nowhere quite like Napa Valley

had these in place from conception yet other vineyards are adding them now. The advantage is a huge savings in energy use as the caves provide year round consistency in the temperature for storing wines and by one of those oh so kind natural coincidences the temperature is optimal for storing the bottles and their contents. A second idea now being reintroduced is to create building for fermentation that are constructed to best track the journey of the sun across the sky (in terms of shade) and also being aware of breezes through the building. The crosswinds and temperature control result in ideal fermentation areas that are also being built by the valley’s most eco-aware vineyards.

As consumers the more we know about the eco-friendly practices of manufacturers the better contributions we can all make. When it comes to a good bottle of wine remember to do your homework before you make your purchase. I’ve had K-J a number of times but now I need to track down a nice bottle of Merlot from Cade. Cheers ~