Winegrowers band together to address environmental challenges and ensure long-term success. Read more here.

California Secretary of Agriculture Salutes Program’s Success as it Nears  100% Vaccinations of Area’s 8,000 Vineyard and Production Workers

SANTA ROSA, Calif.  (March 22, 2021) – Sonoma County may have the most successful vaccination effort of essential ag and production workers in the state and possibly the country to date with more than 95% of workers now vaccinated.  Once vaccines became available, Sonoma County’s winegrape farmers, vintners and health communities successfully partnered to schedule appointments and vaccinate essential workers throughout the region to conduct hundreds of COVID-19 vaccinations each week. This vaccination program is beginning to wind down but remains accessible for all vineyard and wine production workers who live or work in Sonoma County.

“The effort in Sonoma County by the agriculture and health communities to organize and vaccinate essential ag and production workers is a great model,” said Karen Ross, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture.  She added, “The results of this vaccine campaign are most impressive, and it personifies Sonoma County and its agricultural heritage.”

The program is a cooperative effort involving the Sonoma County Winegrowers, the Sonoma County Vintners, the Sonoma County Farm Bureau, local community health centers including the West County Health Center, the Sonoma Valley Health Center, the Alliance Medical Center, the Alexander Valley Health Care, and the Sonoma County Medical Association.  Each agricultural group was assigned a specific responsibility: the Winegrowers worked with the local winegrape farmers; the Vintners worked with local wineries; and the Sonoma County Farm Bureau worked with non-wine related farmers and ag processors.

“Because of the outstanding coordination and trust amongst all the organizing partners, we exceeded our timelines in getting our neighbors vaccinated.  We’ve shared one goal from the beginning — ensure that all of our vineyard and production workers got vaccinated as soon as possible,” said Karissa Kruse, President of the Sonoma County Winegrowers.  She added, “This model of bringing healthcare providers together with local businesses, farms and wineries has definitely worked and I am excited to explore how we can use it moving forward to proactively deliver health care to all our local communities. ”

Each of the ag partner organizations also contributed staff, provided translators, and donated additional resources to make this effort successful.  In addition to organizing the vaccine rollout for essential ag workers, the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation also donated funding to each of the healthcare community organizations involved to help cover day-to-day expenses related to the program.  The Sonoma County Vintners Foundation donated iPads and funding to each of the participating Community Health Centers to provide much needed technology for coordinating the logistics of vaccine program.

NOTE:  Hi-res photographs of last week’s vaccinations for local essential ag and production workers is available upon request.

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CONTACT:             John Segale |  916.600.1081

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Everyone is Hopeful for More Rain but No Frost

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (March 8, 2021) – As the calendar changes to March, Sonoma County vineyards are starting to awaken following a long, dry winter.   Bud break marks the traditional start of the new year for the 2021 vintage meaning each day ahead is filled with a task intended to bring about the best harvest later this year.  Given that bud break comes at the end of winter in a year when more rain is desired, those winter storms also bring the potential risk of harmful frosts at a time when the vines are most vulnerable.  However, this time of year, it is the nature of growers to be excited about the new season getting underway.

“This is one of my favorite times of the year as you can begin to see new life in the vineyard and feel the optimism for a great year among everyone,” said Karissa Kruse, president of the Sonoma County Winegrowers.  She added, “In talking with growers throughout the county, bud break seems to be a little later this season, closer to the historic norms.  I hope this is a sign of a normal year given all that we have endured the past few years.”

As is always the case, white varieties such as chardonnay vines are the first buds to emerge, and growers are seeing some initial signs of bud break but still in the early stages. As the bright yellow color of daffodils and mustard appear to signal the arrival of spring, growers will welcome any rain Mother Nature can provide as the 2021 season officially begins.

Here some early insight from the “front vines” of our AVA’s:

Dry Creek Valley – There are numerous reports of some early bud break primarily in Chardonnay and Gewurztraminer.  The general feeling this year is bud break is a little early but not significantly early.  It has been a dry winter prompting concerns that vines could revert to “drought mode” and, perhaps hold back production, but the pending arrival of spring brings renewed optimism for a stellar year.

Russian River Valley – Early reports are that bud break is starting a little later than recent year but closer to the normal timing of the past. While bud break can be seen in chardonnay vineyards throughout the AVA, early reports are that it should start soon with pinot noir.  Here in the Russian River Valley, concerns about the dry winter persist.

Alexander Valley –  With pruning just completed, bud break is not expected for another week or more. Overall, bud break is running about two weeks behind last year, closer to normal of years past.  Cabernet and other red varieties are not expected to bud for at least 3 weeks.

Green Valley – Bud break is starting to show in some Chardonnay vineyards though it takes some hunting to find it. The general feeling is the timing is pretty normal. However, in the next few weeks, bud break will appear not only in the Chardonnay vineyards but throughout Green Valley.  The dry winter is a top concern and rain is wanted in the worst way.  In the meantime, local growers are perfectly content to wait while enjoying “daffodil heaven!”

Fort Ross/Seaview – Over on the coast in far western Sonoma County, the cold temperatures this winter have kept the vines dormant.    Mid-March has been the typical start of bud break, so the timing this year appears to be normal.  Like elsewhere in the county, it is extremely dry in Fort Ross/Seaview.

Sonoma Valley – With little rain this winter, some growers in Sonoma Valley are already considering irrigation, this is far earlier than any time in recent memory.  Bud break is coming on fast but nothing of significance to report at this time.

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CONTACT: John Segale |  916.600.1081

Nearly 70% of County’s Estimated 12,500 Ag and Production Workers Have Been Vaccinated

SANTA ROSA, Calif.  (February 24, 2021) – As efforts to vaccinate essential agricultural and production workers struggle to proceed throughout California and the nation, Sonoma County’s farmers, vintners and health communities have been successfully partnering to get thousands of COVID-19 vaccination doses to these essential workers throughout the region.

Now entering its 5^th week of operation, the program has already vaccinated and scheduled vaccination appointments for more than 8,300 essential workers from Sonoma County’s agriculture, vineyard, food, and winery sectors.  The target for essential ag and production workers receiving vaccination in Sonoma County is 12,500.  The vaccination program and collaboration will continue for the foreseeable future.

“This effort in Sonoma County should be the model for the nation in how to organize and vaccinate essential ag and production workers,” said Dr. Jason Cunningham, Chief Executive Officer at West County Health Centers.  He added, ”We have succeeded because of the tremendous collaboration throughout the community from people and organizations who share one focus to quickly and efficiently immunize our essential food and agricultural workers to reduce their risk of becoming ill.”

The program is a cooperative effort involving the Sonoma County Winegrowers, the Sonoma County Vintners, the Sonoma County Farm Bureau, local community health centers including the West County Health Center, the Sonoma Valley Health Center, the Alliance Medical Center, the Alexander Valley Health Care, and the Sonoma County Medical Association.  Each agricultural group has a specific responsibility: the Winegrowers work with the local winegrape farmers; the Vintners work with local wineries; and the Sonoma County Farm Bureau works with non-wine related farmers and ag processors. Farmers, vintners, and processors have been receiving regular updates from their representative organization to provide the number of people they employ, where they reside or work in the county and their transportation needs.

Each week, Community Health Centers throughout Sonoma County commit a certain number of vaccines to vaccinate essential ag and production workers against the Coronavirus pandemic.  Every day, it is up to the industry partners to coordinate with the ag and production employers to organize and schedule appointments for the workers and ensure that all the vaccines are being utilized.  Each of the ag partner organizations is contributing staff, providing translators, and donating additional resources to make this effort successful.  In addition, the Sonoma County Medical Association and its vast network of local volunteers dedicated two full days to vaccinating vineyard workers and wine production workers at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, successfully administering the first doses of the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine to over 1,200 people.

Multiple vaccination sites are utilized through this collaboration in the county.  The agricultural organizations coordinate weekly and, sometimes, daily with the community health centers to determine how many vaccines will be available that week and at what location.  With that information, the agricultural organizations work with their ag and production partners to schedule appointments to ensure the greatest number of essential workers are vaccinated each day.

However, for any vaccination program to succeed, there is one essential element: a person’s trust in the vaccine and the institutions that administer it. This model specifically relies on the partnerships among the ag and production associations and the healthcare community and the trust that employees have with their agricultural employers.  In addition, agricultural organizations have conducted outreach and education to essential workers.  All communication and education are offered in both Spanish and English so everyone can make informed decisions about getting vaccinated.

“We are succeeding in reaching our vaccination goal because of the outstanding coordination and trust that exist amongst all parties involved.  There is a unique relationship the county trade associations have with each other, local businesses and farms and, in turn, the trust that exists between the ag employer and their employees,” said Karissa Kruse, President of the Sonoma County Winegrowers.  She added, “While there has been a lot of news about problems throughout the country in vaccinating essential workers, here in Sonoma County, we created a broad coalition to develop a plan that would work to ensure that our ag and production workers get vaccinated as soon as possible.   This model of bringing healthcare providers together with local businesses and farms should not be used just here for this pandemic, but as a model for supporting the health of our local communities moving forward. ”

As witnessed throughout the United States, the logistical challenges to distributing the vaccines are enormous and complex. Adding to that in California are the continued revisions to the state’s rollout plan, confusing messaging to millions of workers regarding priority vaccination groups and an undersupply of doses statewide. The result has been a mixed effort to inoculate high-risk workers employed at farms, restaurants, and grocery stores.

“From the beginning, our focus has been on creating accessible clinics at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds to support the vaccination efforts of the current eligible tier of community members and mobilizing our volunteer network of local doctors and nurses,” said Wendy Young, Executive Director, Sonoma County Medical Association.  She added, “The Sonoma County Medical Association is pleased to have been able to have an active role in vaccinating our community and partnering with the local agricultural and wine communities to vaccinate Sonoma County’s essential ag and production workers in this phase. This level of collaboration is special, and we look forward to continuing this innovative partnership until all who want the vaccine have it and our community can open its doors again!”

A new study out of the University of California, San Francisco found that Latinx Californians experienced a 36% increase in mortality during the pandemic as compared to historical periods, with a 59% increase among Latinx food/agriculture workers. The state’s current vaccination Phase 1B includes people 65 and older and essential workers in education, emergency services, food, and agriculture workers as eligible for shots. In Los Angeles County and other counties in California, essential ag workers will not be eligible to get vaccinated until March 1.

“As an employer, it is my responsibility to do everything I can to protect the health and safety of my employees.  I was really worried after reading and hearing the news from throughout the country of the many  delays and problems in vaccinating essential workers,” said Bret Munselle, of Munselle Vineyards.  He  added, “But, witnessing how efficient the local collaboration has made securing appointments and providing on-site education for our employees was really impressive and a great relief to me.  Everyone in Sonoma County should be proud of this partnership and its success.”

In addition to organizing the vaccine rollout for essential ag workers, the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation donated iPads and funding to each of the participating Community Health Centers to provide much needed technology for coordinating the logistics of vaccine program. The Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation also donated funding to each of the healthcare community organizations involved to help cover day-to-day expenses related to the program.  The collaboration will continue and is accessible for all ag and production workers who live in Sonoma County.

To learn more about the vaccine program, contact your respective partner at:

Sonoma County Winegrowers:                                  https://sonomawinegrape.org/

Sonoma County Vintners:                                          https://sonomawine.com/

Sonoma County Farm Bureau:                                   https://sonomafb.org/

West County Health Centers:                                    https://www.wchealth.org/

Alliance Medical Center:                                            https://alliancemed.org/

Sonoma Valley Community Health Center:               https://svchc.org/

Alexander Valley Healthcare:                                     https://alexandervalleyhealthcare.org/

Sonoma County Medical Association:                       http://www.nbcms.org/home.aspx

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CONTACT:       John Segale | 916.600.1081

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Sonoma VITS Will Seek Innovative Proposals to Support Vineyard Resiliency

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (January 14, 2021) – Due to the ongoing pandemic, Sonoma County winegrowers gathered around their laptops and computer screens to review the organization’s efforts last year and learn about the future direction from the Sonoma County Winegrowers’ president, Karissa Kruse, as the 30st annual Dollars and $ense Seminar and Trade Show went virtual for the first time Thursday morning. Additional speakers included Ray Isle, Executive Wine Editor from Food & Wine magazine; Glenn Proctor from Ciatti Co.; Danny Brager, Brager Beverage Alcohol Consulting; Peggy Gsell, of Nielsen and several breakout session speakers.

In recent years, this event has generated significant wine industry news and the 2021 meeting did not disappoint. Kruse used this year’s forum to announce that the organization will be establishing the nation’s first innovation accelerator for the wine industry to encourage, collaborate and assist in the development and creation of both short-term and long-term vineyard resiliency solutions.

Known as Sonoma VITS (Vineyard Innovation Through Science), this effort builds upon the reputation of Sonoma County Winegrowers as a global leader in sustainability and climate adaptation while meeting the objectives of the industry’s 100-year business plan to preserve local agriculture. Sonoma County is the nation’s first 100% certified sustainable wine region and Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW) is the exclusive participant in the California Land Stewardship’s Climate Adaptation Certification Program which is the world’s first program of its kind for agriculture.
“Think of it as ‘Shark Tank’ comes to Sonoma Wine Country. We want to motivate creative solutions to the various challenges facing our industry now and in the future such as water use, habitat protection, climate adaptation and more,” said Kruse. She added, “This is our ‘man to the moon’ call to action to leverage the best thinking from all innovators. Those companies or individuals with the best ideas will present to an advisory group who as ‘sharks,’ will decide whether our organization will partner in their company and match winning proposals with local growers.”

Sonoma VITS will serve as a bridge among the scientific, technology and innovation communities and local winegrape growers to encourage and develop the best ideas that will benefit the region’s vineyards, wineries, and residents for years to come. The advantage of this cutting-edge effort will encourage the best thinking and creative ideas that will help Sonoma County grape growers pursue a path forward, providing real solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing the industry in the years to come. The first “pitch day” will be this summer.

Sonoma VITS is the next initiative of Sonoma County’s Center for Ag Sustainability, which was established to problem solve and develop new, fresh ideas that will advance farming not only in Sonoma County, but may also revolutionize grape growing and the larger wine industry across the globe.

Kruse also took time on Thursday to update the audience on the organization’s additional activities for the year ahead.

SCW will be launching a new education series to assist growers in marketing and selling their winegrapes. The series will focus on how to build tech sheets to aid in marketing grapes; how to maximize the Sonoma County’s new partnership with the updated EveryVine website and the Grape Marketplace; how to effectively story tell, how to leverage social media; and how to talk about wine to build interest and demand for growers’ grapes.

Three years ago, SCW launched a “sustainably farmed grapes” label and followed this with a region first of using augmented reality to tell consumers the story of sustainability. In 2021, the label and augmented reality will be expanded.

Also, this year, Sonoma County Winegrowers will continue to build on its popular Millennial Ambassador program which coordinates more than 175 local contacts throughout the country who serve as local influencers on behalf of Sonoma County.

Kruse also took time to update the audience on the ongoing efforts of the Sonoma County Grape Grower Foundation which is the only non-profit in Sonoma County that solely serves the region’s farmworkers. Among its many activities this year, the Foundation will conduct four listening sessions with local farm workers and their families to ensure the Foundation is working to meet the needs of the community.

The event ended with the virtual awarding of the Nick Frey Community Contribution Award which was presented to a group of individuals and and organizations who went above and beyond in a challenging year to support local grape growers and farmworkers.

The honorees were Ag Health Benefits Alliance; American AgCredit; Atlas Vineyard Management; Bahco; Casa Cristal Nursery, Inc.; Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation; Dave Martinelli of Tolay Vista Vineyards; Dutton Ranch; Exchange Bank; George Petersen Insurance; Grow West; Hinkle Charitable Foundation; Judy Jordan; Judy Newman through the Robert F. Ford Charitable Foundation; Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefit Programs; Peterson Cat; Rodney Strong Wine Estates; Sherry and Pete Swayne; Silicon Valley Bank; Sonoma Clean Power; Sonoma County Vintners Foundation; Vineyard Industry Products; Wilbur-Ellis; Wonderful Nurseries; and The Zenith Agribusiness Solutions.

About Sonoma County Winegrowers:
The Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, also known as Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW), was established in 2006 as a marketing and educational organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Sonoma County as one of the world’s premier grape growing regions. SCW has oversight by California Department of Food and Agriculture which supports producer regions. With more than 1,800 growers, SCW’s goal is to increase awareness and recognition of the quality and diversity of Sonoma County’s grapes and wines through dynamic marketing and educational programs targeted to wine consumers around the world.

In January 2014, SCW committed to becoming the nation’s first 100% sustainable winegrowing region in 2019. As of September 2019, 99% of the vineyard acreage in Sonoma County has completed certification by a third-party auditor making Sonoma County the most sustainable wine region in the world. SCW’s sustainability efforts have been recognized with California’s highest environmental honor, the 2016 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA). Learn more at www.sonomawinegrape.org

About the Grape Growers Foundation:
The Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation (SCGGF) was first established in 2002 as a 501(c)(3) organization to help fund educational workshops in Spanish for agricultural employees. Relaunched in January of 2016, SCGGF is focused on improving the lives of Sonoma County’s agricultural employees and their families, while ensuring Sonoma County remains a place where agricultural workers will continue to live, work, and thrive. SCGGF collaborates with various community-based organizations and government agencies to identify existing resources, leverage available support, and create new programs to assist local agricultural employees and their families. This includes a focus on healthcare, affordable housing, childcare and education. The Foundation is managed by the Sonoma County Winegrowers with a 12-member board of directors comprised of agricultural leaders, vineyard owners, winery executives, and other Sonoma County community leaders.

CONTACT: John Segale
916.600.1081

Grower Survey Highlights State of the Winegrape Community Following Pandemic and Wildfires

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (October 20, 2020) – Though the 2020 growing season enjoyed near-perfect growing conditions, a mid-August lightning storm during a global pandemic resulted in a dramatic turn for Sonoma County’s winegrapes and a financial blow to the region just as it has with other wine regions across California.

“No one could have predicted how the external events of 2020 would impact the entire community in Sonoma County including growers, vintners, workers, local hotels, restaurants, stores, suppliers and, ultimately, local residents,” said Karissa Kruse, president of the Sonoma County Winegrowers. She added, “We estimate between 25% – 30% of the Sonoma County winegrape harvest will go unpicked due to the pandemic and fires. We are also still waiting to learn what wines will be made this year. So far, we have identified approximately a $150,000,000 loss to growers which will have a ripple effect on the County’s local wine and tourism industries which can contribute up to $13.4 billion annually to the local economy in a normal year.”

Given the extensive national media focus on wine country in recent months, Sonoma County Winegrowers sought accurate data to determine the state of the winegrowing community and the effect on the 2020 harvest season. The organization just completed a survey of its growers and released the results today. Among the key findings:

• More than 70% of all winegrape growers in Sonoma County anticipate having at least some grapes that will go unpicked or be rejected by wineries due to the wildfires.

• Grape growers estimate that the total tonnage of unpicked grapes due to marketplace dynamics, COVID’s impact on local wineries and tourism, and the fires will exceed 50,000 tons, this is on a lower than average base of 180,000 tons due to the anticipated lighter crop this season.

• The estimated crop value for winegrapes that were not harvested equates to approximately $151,657,081.
In addition to the financial losses from this year’s wildfires, growing winegrapes in Sonoma County in recent years has been physically and mentally hard on growers, vineyard workers and their families.

“One of the bright spots in a dismal year has been the recent efforts of our winegrowers to transform their businesses to prepare for an ever-changing future,” said Kruse. She added, “Following the fires in 2017, the grower community set out to adopt a new approach to doing business which included hiring more full-time employees to secure a stable, talented workforce.”
After a decade of labor shortages and losing additional employees to jobs in construction and an emerging cannabis industry, local winegrape growers began shifting away from relying on seasonal vineyard workers to hiring full-time employees which eliminated the need to constantly attract and secure new seasonal workers each year. Today, more than 80% of local vineyard workers in Sonoma County are full-time which is almost a 20 percent increase since 2017. Full-time employment provides a level of permanency for workers and their families enabling them to establish roots in the community while securing a skilled, knowledgeable workforce for employers for the future.
According to the grower survey:

• Today, more than 80% of local vineyard workers in Sonoma County are full-time which is nearly a 20 percent increase since 2017.

• Women now account for 20% of the local vineyard workforce.

• The average hourly rate of pay for Sonoma County vineyard workers is $19.87 per hour. The average hourly wage has increased $3.13 per hour since 2017.

• During the same period, the shift to full-time employment has led to a decrease in the seasonal workforce by approximately 50 percent, mechanized harvesting is now done on 30% of the vineyard acres in Sonoma County and participation in the H-2A Guest Worker Program continues to grow.

• In Sonoma County, just 5.6% of the region’s Latinx population are employed as vineyard workers.

This year can certainly be defined as challenging for the region. Fortunately, as a result of the early harvest, more than 15% of the winegrapes had been picked before the LNU complex fires began and 90% had been harvested by the start of the “Glass Fire” which was the year’s third major wildfire in Sonoma County. Once again, many winegrape growers, vineyard workers and their families in Sonoma County were forced to evacuate their homes and ranches. In response, the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation reopened its Resiliency Fund in August to raise money to support local farmworkers who may have been impacted through evacuations or loss of work.

Through the Resiliency Fund nearly $100,000 in financial assistance has been provided to more than 200 farmworkers and their families who lost their homes or were forced to evacuate from the fires this year. Another 40 farmworkers and their families who were negatively impacted by COVID-19 also received financial assistance from the fund. Since 2017, the Foundation has supported over 1,500 local farmworkers and provided $1.3 million in direct financial assistance.

Additionally, throughout the year, the Foundation has been leading the charge to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. It distributed more than 14,000 masks to local grape growers for their employees. It also produced videos in Spanish to assist with the communication and understanding of COVID-19 and best practices on how to stay safe. The videos were used for a social media campaigns and advertising directed at the Latinx community.

Looking ahead, top concerns for Sonoma County winegrowers are wanting more research on the impacts of smoke; access to rapid testing to measure smoke exposure; and, a dedicated effort to clean up dead trees and brush in forests and woodlands to prevent or slow the spread of fires. Most of all, Sonoma County winegrowers await the opportunity to share their wine and region with neighbors and visitors in the months ahead.

“We are grateful for the resolve of Sonoma County winegrowers who remain committed to their vineyards and employees. The best way to support our growers, workers, families, and community is to purchase Sonoma County wine whenever possible, and especially cherish wines from the 2020 vintage. They will be hard earned and well loved” said Kruse. She added, “While there will be a 2020 Sonoma County vintage, we are hoping for a long, boring 2021 season.”

For more information about the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation, visit: https://www.scggf.org/

SANTA ROSA, Calif.  (January 16, 2020) – After celebrating Sonoma County being recognized as the 2019 Wine Region of the Year by Wine Enthusiast, it was time for local winegrowers and vintners to get down to business at the 29^th annual Dollars & $ense Seminar and Trade Show and the first joint annual meeting for the two organizations.  Over the years, attendees have come to expect significant industry announcements from the organization’s president, Karissa Kruse.   This year Kruse again delivered as the attendees expected.

With Sonoma County established as the leading sustainable wine region in the world, the Sonoma County Winegrowers will continue to build upon its leadership by targeting climate change.  Starting this year, the organization is the exclusive participant in the California Land Stewardship’s Climate Adaptation Certification Program which is the world’s first program of its kind for agriculture.   Sixteen winegrape farms and wineries are participating in the launch of the program representing diverse soil types and topography.  Customized farm plan will track the impact of climate-friendly farming practices and develops recommendations that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This program builds upon and goes beyond the healthy soils best management practices developed through sustainability certification to be the most comprehensive approach to climate friendly farming to date.

“Climate change is a critical concern, but we don’t know yet what role agriculture can play.  This certification program is unique because it recognizes there is not one cookie cutter approach to reducing greenhouse gases (GHC).  Instead, we will be developing and implementing a variety of local solutions based on real data to combat and reduce GHC,” said Kruse. She added, “Sonoma County’s terrain varies greatly, and every vineyard is different which is why each participating vineyard will have its own land management program specifically to address the sequestration of GHC’s including nitrous oxide and carbon emissions.”

The Climate Adaptation Certification program, developed in collaboration with scientists from around the country, seeks to address how much carbon vineyards sequester. It will focus on proven scientific concepts that growers can implement without compromising their farming practices.  By limiting nitrous oxide emissions and focusing on carbon sequestration, the health of the soil and vineyard will improve. The program meets both the State of California’s climate goals and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Healthy Soil goals. The greenhouse gas reductions will be monitored and documented with the information shared with farmers and the general public.

“Through the Climate Adaptation Certification program, both the grower and the public will be able to better understand the role of vineyards in climate change and the immediate benefits of agricultural practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon,” said Laurel Marcus, executive director of the California Land Stewardship Institute.  She added, “We are so pleased to work with the Sonoma County Winegrowers who are among the best at land stewardship and environmental responsibility.”

CLSI will work with each winegrower to prepare a Climate Adaptation Farm Plan documenting current and future practices and quantify reductions in GHG emission and increases in carbon sequestration. The plan will be certified by regulatory agencies.  The effort will utilize COMET-Farm, a site-specific, detailed model developed by the USDA and Colorado State University to calculate GHG emissions for each vineyard for current and revised practices. The Commission and CLSI will also work with scientific researchers to support field trials that answer outstanding questions on the effects of certain agricultural practices to further refine our program and general knowledge.

In addition to Kruse’s report, Dollars & $ense attendees learned more about the current dynamics of today’s wine market including consumer preferences, challenges to wine and the current marketplace for winegrapes.

According to Danny Brager, senior vice president of the Nielsen Company, “While the trends aren’t favorable, the sky is not falling!”  He pointed out that wine ranks 14^th in sales growth in dollars last year out of 300 product categories monitored by Nielsen.  When it comes to Sonoma County wine brands, of the top 100 brands, 25 are growing by double digits.  Finally, consumers continue to demand environmentally friendly which pares nicely with Sonoma County’s sustainable commitment.

Kruse also took time to update the audience on the ongoing efforts of the Sonoma County Grape Grower Foundation (SCGGF) which is comprised of farmers, families and community members dedicated to being leaders in social equity by supporting the skilled workforce that sustains agriculture in Sonoma County. Since its relaunch in 2016, the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation has focused on employee education, housing, health safety and quality of life. It is managed by the Sonoma County Winegrowers.

“The intent of SCGGF is to support Sonoma County farmworkers and their families through innovative partnerships and programs that make a direct and immediate difference,” said Karissa Kruse, president of Sonoma County Winegrowers, who is also serves as the executive director of the Sonoma County Grape Growers Foundation.    She added, “Our long-term goal is to be a part of the solution for the affordable housing crisis in Sonoma County so that farmworkers and their families can live, work and thrive in our county.”

As part of its efforts, the Foundation recognizes outstanding workers with its popular Vineyard Employee Recognition Awards presented to vineyard employees who achieve excellence in the vineyards.  Four employees are recognized each month for their individual achievement and exceptional performance in a program designed to showcase the various skills and many contributions made each year by Sonoma County’s vineyard workers.

Most recently, the Foundation has been distributing much-needed financial assistance to local farmworkers who were impacted by the Kincaid Fire this past fall.  Through its Farmworker Resiliency Fund, direct financial assistance was provided to nearly 1,000 farmworker families for new or temporary housing, provided financial assistance to offset lost wages, helped pay utility bills and helped replace household items, food and supplies lost due to the fires. In all, the SCGGF has provided more than $1,000,000 in direct assistance to all farmworkers in the County in just the past two years.

Sonoma County Winegrowers presented Jackson Family Wines and Francis Ford Coppola Winery with the Nick Frey Community Contribution Award for their leadership and support of the certified sustainability program.

Wine Enthusiast’s 2019 Wine Region of the Year is Sonoma County! Read the full article here.

Triple Bottom Line. Fish Friendly Farming. Social Sustainability. The three “E’s” (or three “P’s”) of Sustainability. These terms and countless others are part of the regular vocabulary of our staff, farmers and sustainability partners here in Sonoma County. We are fluent in the “language” of sustainability and we are used to seeing it in practice in our vineyards and community. When we travel though, we often find that journalists, influencers and even sommeliers and members of the wine trade are always eager to learn more. While we always try to bring sustainable practices and the people behind them to life while we are on the road, we are aware that there is no substitution for a trip to Sonoma County where you can see these practices for yourself, meet our local farmers and taste our wonderful, diverse wines in the place where they are grown.

With this in mind, we hosted our very first Sustainability Camp in late April. Nine lifestyle writers from around the U.S. joined us for a three-day, two-night immersive experience into the world of sustainability in Sonoma County. Not only did we visit sustainable vineyards and wineries including Silver Oak, Amista, Pedroncelli, La Crema and Medlock Ames, but we toured employee housing, volunteered with local non-profit Farm to Pantry in “gleaning” (picking the second crop of vegetables that have been picked over in order to use them or donate them to a food bank – we did both). Of course, we also sent our campers out in pick-up trucks with several of our local growers for “Tailgate Talks,” a private vineyard tour and behind-the-scenes look at a local family farming business.

Stories written by our sustainable campers have already appeared on Matador Network, Just Luxe, Upscale Living Magazine, The Zoe Report and several other outlets with more coverage expected over the coming months. Please make sure to subscribe to our email newsletter in order to get all the updates on great stories coming from our media efforts!