2/10/2020 - February 10, 2020, St. Helena, CA—Napa Green, the third-party certified sustainability certification program for vineyards and wineries in the Napa Valley, is now a new non-profit organization, with longtime program consultant Anna Brittain named as Executive Director.
Napa Green Certified Land (est. 2004) and Napa Green Certified Winery (est. 2008) were created with stakeholder input from local, state and federal regulators, environmental groups and industry representatives. Napa Green provides the opportunity for comprehensive “soil to bottle” certification, which sets the program apart.
Long championed by the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV), which represents 550 wineries in the Napa Valley, Napa Green has grown from modest adoption to widespread participation over the last decade. In 2015, the NVV set an ambitious goal to have all eligible members involved in the program by the end of 2020. Since announcing the goal, participation among the NVV membership has grown from 33% to more than 80% in five years, with enrollments continuing to increase.
“Napa Valley’s vintners have a long history of environmental leadership. In order for the NVV to champion this program, we knew it had to be rigorous, both practice and performance-based and third-party certified. We didn’t want our vintners just to self-assess their operations and call that ‘sustainability’. Instead, Napa Green has given participants a comprehensive framework to translate their environmental values into meaningful action and positive outcomes,” said Michelle Novi, associate director of industry relations for the NVV.
The new Napa Green organization will enable the program to build new partnerships and fundraising opportunities to support its mission to further expand beyond the wine industry and grow certified sustainable, responsible businesses committed to environmental stewardship and climate action in Napa County. The organization will be governed by a Board of Directors comprised of local environmental leaders, industry representatives and committed community members.
Executive Director Brittain contributed to the design of the Napa Green Winery program and has been working with the NVV to help vineyards and wineries achieve Napa Green certification since 2015. A graduate of Williams College and the Bren School of Environmental Management at UC Santa Barbara, Brittain is uniquely qualified to lead Napa Green as the program enters this new phase.
“As a Napa Valley native it’s been incredibly meaningful to help grow environmental stewardship and sustainability in this special place we call home. Over the past five years we’ve built a robust Napa Green community, with workshops to support continuing improvement and events celebrating the achievements of all certified green businesses. Through Napa Green we are proving that caring for nature elevates both quality and experience. We have the opportunity to set an example that creates waves of impact and I look forward to how much more we will accomplish,” said Brittain.
Participants in the Napa Green Land program contribute to the health of the Napa River watershed and develop a custom, whole farm conservation plan. Napa Green wineries implement more than 100 practices to improve energy and water efficiency, prevent waste, take climate action, and engage employees on the path to sustainability. The certifications emphasize measures that support the three tenants of sustainability: caring for the health of nature, caring for the health of employees and community, and caring for the resilience and health of businesses.
About Napa Green
Napa Green is a rigorous soil to bottle sustainability certification program in the Napa Valley. Napa Green serves as a catalyst and facilitator to grow certified sustainable, responsible businesses committed to environmental stewardship and climate action in Napa County. Learn more at napagreen.org
About the Napa Valley Vintners
The Napa Valley Vintners nonprofit trade associate has been cultivating excellence since 1944 by inspiring its 550 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: Michelle Novi, Associate Director of Industry Relations - 707.968.4206, mnovi@napavintners.com Anna Brittain, Executive Director of Napa Green – 805.636.3329, anna@napagreen.org
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