4/15/2016 - St. Helena, CA – The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) nonprofit trade association is leading an initiative to get winery employee cars off the road in the month of April during the California wine industry’s annual Down to Earth celebration.
Earlier this month, the NVV launched the “Winery Commute Challenge” encouraging its 525 member wineries to incentivize employees to use alternative transportation methods, including carpooling. A 2014 Napa County Travel Behavior study found that the majority of the cars on Napa County’s roads are local residents commuting to and from work alone in their vehicles.
“Transportation is a primary concern in our community,” commented Linda Reiff, NVV president and CEO. “If we want to help reduce traffic in Napa Valley, the first place we need to look is at ourselves – locals driving alone are among the biggest contributors to congestion on our roads. We’re excited to announce this Down to Earth initiative as a way to help make a difference.”
The NVV’s Winery Commute Challenge provides both resources and incentives to get wineries and their employees to participate. Some of the wineries that are already involved include Cakebread Cellars, Inglenook, Rombauer Vineyards, St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery and Trefethen Family Vineyards. Wineries interested in joining the Commute Challenge can contact the NVV for more information.
Down to Earth month was created by the California Wine Institute to help individual wineries and trade groups like the NVV spotlight the wine industry’s long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability. In addition to organizing the Winery Commute Challenge, the NVV will also be promoting the Napa Green Certified Land and Winery programs throughout April.
Napa Green is a comprehensive environmental certification program for vineyards and wineries in the Napa Valley. The program represents a soil-to-bottle approach to environmental stewardship and winemaking, integrating holistic management practices at every step of the process. Independent, third-party certification of farms and winemaking facilities makes Napa Green one of the most comprehensive environmental accreditations the wine industry offers. While the program is presently voluntary, last year NVV established the goal that all of its eligible members will be in Napa Green by the year 2020.
Napa Green is a sponsor of the annual Earth Day Celebration taking place on Saturday, April 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Oxbow Commons in Napa featuring informational exhibits, live entertainment and activities for kids. That evening, Napa Green is also sponsoring the Connolly Ranch Earth Night Festival from 5 to 10 p.m., which includes live bands, nature craft activities, food trucks, farm tours, moonlit nature hikes and more. Wines from Napa Green producers will be poured at both events.
Facts about the Napa Green Certified Land and Winery programs:
- More than 70,000 acres of farmland in Napa County are certified or pending certification in the Napa Green Land program.
- 46% of the vineyard acreage in Napa County has already been certified.
- More than 7 million cases of wine are produced annually at Napa Green wineries.
Information about Napa Green can be found on the program’s newly redesigned website, including suggested Napa Green winery tour routes, a list of participating land and winery owners, case studies from Napa Green Champions and details about participation criteria and the third-party certification process.
To learn more about Down to Earth Month, visit discovercaliforniawines.com/d2e
About the Napa Valley Vintners
The Napa Valley Vintners nonprofit trade association has been cultivating excellence since 1944 by inspiring its more than 525 members to consistently produce wines of the highest quality, to provide environmental leadership and to care for the extraordinary place they call home. Learn more at napavintners.com.
Contact: Patsy McGaughy, Communications Director 707.968.4207 pmcgaughy@napavintners.com
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