Napa wine is sustainable and delicious!

It has been 15 years since The California Sustainable Wine Growing Alliance (CSWA) was formed and #CSWA just announced some amazing results for 2017:

• 1,099 Vineyards and 127 wineries are CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE
• 5 million cases produced — 74% of Total Statewide Case Production made in CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE Wineries

What is sustainable wine? Winemakers take care with every single aspect of the winemaking process — soil fertility, water pollution, pesticide use, energy efficiency and the most important, the taste of the wine. I am fascinated by all the different ways that California wineries and vineyards are doing good for the environment and for their community.

And the best part? These numerous California wineries also produce some great tasting wines. Two of my favorites are Trefethen Family Vineyards and Ehlers Estate both in #Napa Valley.  I can’t wait to share these wines and their beautiful vineyards with travelers on The Toast Experience to Napa in May!

Both wineries produce great #Cabernets, for drinking now and for aging. But more importantly they have real commitments to environmental sustainability and social responsibility. Ehlers gives100% of the proceeds from the sale of their wines to the LeDucq Foundation, created by the winery’s former owners, to support international cardiovascular research and combat heart disease. Ehler’s wines are 100% organic. Its 1886 Cabernet is outstanding and its annual release of Sylviane Rosé is always on my shopping list.

Trefethen is a family owned winery that started with a commitment to grow high quality grapes and preserve and nurture the land in Napa Valley. To this day their wines are all estate grown, meaning their wines are produced only from grapes they grow on their land.  They use solar energy to fully cover their demand for electricity; employ vineyard workers year-round, providing them with living wages and comprehensive benefits; recycle all winery wastewater to irrigate the vineyards and employ deficit irrigation techniques to curtail water usage. The result is a great wine like Dragon’s Tooth Cabernet pictured here!

Join us on the Toast Experience adventure to see these historic wineries, hear more of their stories and toast to sustainability that tastes good!