Domaine Carneros is Napa Green Certified, one of the most rigorous sustainability certifications the winery industry offers. We hold both the Napa Green Land and Napa Green Winery certifications for our numerous efforts in water and energy conservation and waste diversion. We reclaim two-thirds of our water and through innovative packaging recycling and composting programs, Domaine Carneros is able to keep 90% of its waste out of landfills. As of 2019, we have offset 100% of the carbon footprint of all packages shipped through our five U.S. fulfillment centers. That's the equivalent of growing 66,667 tree seedlings for 10 years or taking 850 cars off the road for an entire year.

Domaine Carneros was one of the early adopters of solar power, installing the largest solar collection system of any winery in the world in 2003. Since it was installed, the system has captured enough electricity to power 230 homes for a year. Installing skylights, building into the earth, and using night cooling systems to maintain cellar temperatures have all contributed to further energy conservation.

In 2015 we were Fish Friendly Farming certified. This certification is gained through dedicated efforts by the farmer to restore fish and wildlife habitat and improve water quality. We plant cover crops to protect the soil, prevent erosion, and encourage beneficial insects in the vineyard, limit our use of chemicals to protect water quality, and revegetate with native plants to retain the natural biodiversity in our vineyards.

More recently, we partnered with an innovative company called Recork, which recycles our used corks and repurposes them into products that would otherwise be made from environmentally-harmful plastic or foam, like yoga mats and shoe inserts. Proceeds from those products are then used to plant more cork trees and invest in sustainable cork harvesting, which draws an increased amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

From using owl boxes for natural pest management to taking grape pomace from every harvest and feeding it to local cattle, Domaine Carneros has farmed sustainably since the late 1980s. In 2013, we became certified sustainable. Each year, we go through an assessment and audit for ensuring that our sustainable efforts are always-improving and benefit the environment, our employees, the community, and the grapes and wine.

At Domaine Carneros, sustainability isn’t just a practice, it’s a way of life. From the beginning, sustainability has been ingrained into our company culture and our employees actively make sustainable choices in the workplace, day in and day out. From reducing our single-use plastic usage with reusable water bottles and compostable plates, cups, and silverware in our break room to our annual Earth Day Clean-Up along the Napa River, we subscribe to the notion that even the smallest of efforts can have a major, collective impact.

In 2019, we were honored by the Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership Awards for demonstrating "Smart business through efficiencies, cost savings, and innovation from implementing sustainable practices." Only four vineyards or wineries are awarded the medal each year in the categories of Leader, Community, Environment, and Business.

- TJ Evans, Winemaker