What does it mean to be Napa Green?
“Sustainability rests on three pillars: People, Planet and Prosperity. For Napa Green we describe it as caring for the health of nature, caring for the health of employees and community, and caring for the health and resilience of conscientious businesses.”-Napa Green
Morisoli Vineyard in Rutherford California
Robert Biale Vineyards has been Vineyard and Winery Green certified for 3 years through the Fish Friendly Farming/Napa Green Program. It was a long process, but we are incredibly honored to be a part of an organization with similar beliefs as ours. As a winery, when we think about sustainability, we must consider the following: water efficiency, pest management & wildlife, soil health, waste management, supply chain, and consumers.
Our goal is to set the foundation for the future generation of growers, and consumers to have the opportunity to enjoy these beautiful vineyards and wines. We like to say we are stewards of the land and we want to continue this mission with every vineyard we work with.
Here are some ways we have dedicated ourselves to the land and the wine we produce:
At the winery
-Ordering of compostable materials like paper towels, plates, and silverware.
-Using packaging materials and office supplies and paper that is recycled and sustainable.
-Labeling and separation of trash, compost, and recycling and participating in staff training to increase our diversion from landfill.
-Ordering light weight bottles that leave less of a carbon footprint.
-During harvest we compost grape skins and stems.
-We use steam for sanitizing our barrels and winery equipment which saves a ton of water.
-We have converted all our lighting in the cellar to LED ballasts which saves energy.
-Soon we will be installing solar panels for energy efficiency.
Owner, Bob Biale pruning Zinfandel. Photo by Kenny Kim Photography.
In the Vineyards
-Composting
-Planting cover crop to reduce land erosion.
-Hoe Plow to disc the cover crop into the soil.
-“Natural Herbicide” process where our vineyard team shovels by hand to eliminate competition to the vine.
-Harvesting by hand.
-Allowing wildlife to flourish by ridding the use of pesticides and hanging owl boxes and other beneficial bird boxes.
Thank you for helping us continue keeping Napa and Sonoma green. We raise a glass to you. Cheers!