Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/45785
MANAGEMENT Putting Wine into (Carbon) Neutral Taking carbon out of wine production can be the way forward By James Graham n a company fact sheet, Rodney Strong Vineyards in Healdsburg, Calif., which became Sonoma County's first carbon-neutral winery in 2009, succinctly sums up what carbon neutral means for a wine producer: "When your net carbon output is offset by renew- able energy, carbon sequestration, and purchased offsets." A more formal definition might be that becoming carbon neutral involves calculating the vineyard and winery's total carbon emis- sions, reducing or mitigating these where possible and then offsetting the carbon that cannot be driven out of the production process by investing in carbon credits. Making carbon-neutral wine requires changes and re-engineer- ing in the vineyard and its pro- cesses. Carbon neutrality not only affects processes and equipment used in the vineyard, but how the wine is packaged and distributed beyond the establishment's foot- print. The tangible and intangible benefits of becoming carbon neu- tral can be lower production costs as well as a lessening of environ- mental impact. At the same time, the producer can demonstrate vis- ibly "green" credentials in the mar- ketplace. However, there are costs involved in the process, and some vintners and experts question the value of going neutral, preferring instead to reduce carbon footprints on their own terms, and to imple- ment other eco-friendly practices. GETTING STARTED The concept of carbon neutral- ity flows naturally from earlier con- cerns with acid rain, food miles – the distance food is transported from the time of its production until it reaches the consumer – and car- bon footprints. Only a handful of vineyards and wineries worldwide are cur- rently carbon neutral. In the United States, the number of carbon-neu- tral vineyards or wineries can be counted on one hand. In addition to Rodney Strong, the list includes Parducci Wine Cellars in Ukiah, Calif.; Navarro Vineyards in Philo, Calif.; Honig Vineyard and Winery in Rutherford, Calif.; and the recently In 2009 Rodney Strong Vineyards became the first Sonoma County winery to go carbon-neutral. 86 VINEYARD & WINERY MANAGEMENT NOV - DEC 2011 WWW.VWM-ONLINE.COM