4 California Wineries Named Green Medal Sustainable Winegrowing Winners

Four wineries were awarded California Green Medal Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership Awards, joining 32 past winners from throughout the state These awardees are recognized for their advanced sustainability practices and innovation based on a comprehensive judging process focused on both sustainable viticulture and winemaking

Presented by several California wine organizations devoted to sustainability, four green medals are awarded annually in the following categories: Leader, Environment, Community and Business

Each recipient receives an engraved Green Medal and is recognized for their contributions to California wines’ world leading efforts on wine sustainability A customized award ceremony also helps to share their achievement with staff, customers, media and other stakeholders of their choice

“It’s a pleasure to recognize the California wine community’s cutting-edge leaders in sustainability through the California Green Medal Awards,” said Allison Jordan, California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance’s executive director “Their stories illustrate the perfect synergy between growing exceptional winegrapes and crafting quality wines at different price points with an enduring commitment to resource conser vation, environmental protection and quality of life for their employees and community ”

Winners of the 2023 Califor nia Green Medals are:

Treasury Americas: Leader Award, given to the vineyard or winery that excels in the three “Es” of sustainability – Environmentally sound, socially Equitable and Economically viable practices

With vineyards and wineries in California’s North and Central Coasts, and as one of the largest Napa Valley growers, Treasury Americas is a demonstrated leader in sustainability The company set ambitious targets of 100 percent renewable electricity by 2024 and Net Zero by 2030

It collaborates with universities and industry experts to investigate new technologies, accelerating the transition to a low-carbon future and sharing these learnings with peers Treasur y partners with groups such as the Napa Resource Conservation District and North Coast Soil Health Hub on soil health, biochar and compost studies and shares information using its demonstration site

Committed to the restoration of the Napa River, it removed vineyards to create valuable setbacks and replanted thousands of native trees to capture carbon, support salmon spawning and enhance bird habitat

Treasur y Americas is committed to building a healthy, safe, inclusive and equitable workplace culture It encourages employees to propose solutions to key sustainability challenges, which helps broaden employees’ networks and skills

The company also helps support the broader community by providing two days of paid volunteer time off per year and matching donations to fundraising activities

Tablas Creek Vineyard: Environment Award, given to the vineyard or winery that best demonstrates Environmental Stewardship through maximized environmental benefits from implementing sustainable practices

Situated 12 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean near Paso Robles, Tablas Creek Vineyard demonstrates a stewardship to the environment through leading-edge practices and certifications Tablas Creek is a trailblazer of many firsts in its region, such as helping Regenerative Organic Alliance craft standards and becoming the world’s first Regenerative Organic Certified winery

Tablas Creek shares its experience with the community by hosting seminars on topics such as organic and biodynamic viticulture, dry-farming, biochar and using animals such as owls, hawks and sheep in the vineyard to manage pests and weeds while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and restoring nutrients to the soil naturally It maintains 90 acres of pristine oak woodland on its property

Efforts to reduce its carbon footprint include a 100 percent solar-powered winery where all plastic water bottles have been replaced with reusable stainless-steel canteens, the use of lightweight bottle glass and conservation of water by steam-cleaning barrels Tablas Creek also captures wastewater for reuse in a wetland area that provides habitat for native species

For over 30 years, Tablas Creek Vineyard has shared its sustainability initiatives with the community and participated in numerous collaborations with the academic and viticultural institutions in the area

Cakebread Cellars: Community Award, given to the vineyard or winer y that is a Good Neighbor and Employer using the most innovative practices that enhance relations with employees, neighbors and/or communities

Cakebread Cellars is a family-owned winery located in Napa Valley’s Rutherford AVA, committed to being stewards of the land and the community since 1973 In addition to its commitment to environmental leadership as a silver member of the International Wineries for Climate Action, Cakebread Cellars cultivates a dynamic workplace culture with talented employees by focusing on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion through ongoing DEI workshops and floating holidays that enable staff to select its preferred cultural and religious observations Cakebread Cellars conducted a company-wide survey to solicit feedback on DEI initiatives and created an employee-led DEI Council with four sub-committees that address individual areas of continuous improvement It worked with DEI consultants to expand hiring practices, create a monthly calendar of DEI-inspired events and start a harvest internship program that provides scholarships for BIPOC harvest interns

The company continues to evolve its definition of community and ways to support it by contributing to over 80 organizations, including national organizations such as World Central Kitchen, and holiday drives with Boys and Girls Club and by contributing to local nonprofits focused on enhancing the livability of Napa Valley

Cakebread Cellars empowers its employees to give back with two paid days off per year for them to volunteer with preferred nonprofits For its exemplary community leadership, Cakebread Cellars is the recipient of the 2023 California Green Medal Community Award

Niner Wine Estates: Business Award, given to the vineyard or winer y that best demonstrates Smart Business through efficiencies, cost savings and innovation from implementing sustainable practices

Niner Wine Estates, located on California’s Central Coast, is a family-owned winery specializing in 100 percent estate grown wines Since its inception, the company has taken a long-term and market-leading approach to caring for employees and the broader community while limiting its environmental impact

As a SIP Certified vineyard and winery, Niner Wine Estates is committed to continuously improving its sustainability All buildings are LEED Silver Certified, saving energy and reducing cost

I n t h e l a s t f i v e y e a r s , N i n e r Wi n e E st a t e s h a s m a d e m a j o r i n v e s t m e n t s t o red u c e i t s e n v i ro n m e n t a l f o o t p r i n t T h e s e investments include installing a solar system that produces 560,000 kilowatt hours a n n u a l l y a n d a s e c o n d w a t e r c o l l e c t i o n s y s t e m i n c re a s i n g r a i n w a t e r c a p t u re f o r i r r i g a t i o n

Two years ago, it created a staff position to collect, analyze and report data on resource use to help managers make the most sustainably minded decisions Niner creates a welcoming culture for its employees, offering a robust benefits package and in 2020 paid part-time employees during pandemic closures as if they were salaried employees Niner also makes annual donations of $2,000 per employee to the charity of their choice GN