Frog's Leap Winery in California produces more energy that it consumes.

There are over 2,500 wineries in the state of California alone, producing around 200 million cases of wine annually. Each bottle of wine can produce as much as a pound of waste and release 16 grams of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. The amount of water needed to run a winery is staggering — something California is short on to start with. There are tremendous energy needs, from glass and cork production, to vineyard machinery and a significant amount of fuel needed to ship the finished product around the world. There’s also the chemical run-off from herbicides and pesticides that can flow into lakes and rivers. Add it up and the impact of the wine industry on our environment is significant. So what are wineries doing to help combat these issues? As it turns out, quite a lot.

The California wine industry is keenly aware of its effect on the environment and is taking significant steps to lessen its impact. Not only are wineries being encouraged to move away from using industrial chemicals in favour of more organic solutions, they are exploring other solutions that have little or no impact on their surroundings — water use, natural methods of pest control, lighter bottles for shipping, alternative energies and composting waste.

One of the most successful programs is Napa Green, which regulates both wineries and vineyards, offering certification, monitoring and help in regulating the industry from an environmental standpoint. The program helps restore natural habitat for wildlife, controls the use of chemicals and offers solutions to those seeking a greener approach to farming and wine production. Some, however, are taking the initiative and going far beyond the current standard.

In 2005, Frog’s Leap Winery switched to 100 per cent solar power. Owner John Williams installed 1,020 photovoltaic panels, generating 168 kilowatts per day. Since the winery only uses 65 kw per day, it feeds energy back into the grid. Frog’s Leap is seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and in order to achieve this goal, has implemented several practices, including using rapidly renewable materials, certified wood and composite wood, non-PVC piping and low-emitting materials (coatings, sealants, CFC reduction in HVAC equipment) and more. The winery also uses geothermal heating and cooling to enhance its overall green energy program. Clean, renewable and sustainable, geothermal energy uses the Earth’s warm interior to significantly reduce the amount of non-renewable energy used. In addition, the winery employs dry farming techniques in order to cut back on its water use and is certified organic at all of its vineyards.

Navarro winery in northern California has found a natural way to cut its carbon emissions. Navarro plants natural grasses between its vineyard rows in order to control erosion, oxygenate the soil and balance essential elements. Navarro didn’t like the idea of burning fuel to cut the grass, so it introduced sheep into the vineyards. Sheep not only help control the growth of the grass, but their manure acts as a powerful fertilizer and helps keep the soil teeming with microbial life — something crucial to vineyard health.

The use of animals is nothing new to viticulture, but it’s an old idea that is quickly gaining favour with modern-day grape farmers. At Honig winery in Napa, habitats of all kind are visible in its vineyards. Bat boxes and blue bird boxes lure these animals to help keep the insect population in check, while owl boxes and hawk perches help create a natural balance among larger pests.

Perhaps the biggest impact wine has on the global environment, however, is shipping. Heavy glass bottles are carted around the world, throwing large amounts of carbon into the air. While traditional wine packaging may take some time to morph into something more sustainable, small changes are starting to appear. In the past, many wineries put the best wines in heavier glass and packed it in heavy wood crates. This is falling out of fashion. European wineries, such as Boisset in Burgundy, are experimenting with lighter bottles and tetra packs for cheaper wines. They are seeing drastic changes in shipping costs and have massively reduced their carbon footprint.

Farming has a significant impact on our Earth, whether it’s grapes or other food crops, but it seems more and more that grape farmers are at the forefront of innovation when it comes to sustainable agriculture. Whether you see wine as a luxury good or an essential part of life, it’s great to see wineries doing their part when it comes to protecting our planet.