California Wines Down to Earth Month

April 3, 2015

Hey California sustainable wine lovers, April is Down to Earth Month in California.  The eco-friendly sustainable wine events created by Wine Institute—the association of 1,000 California wineries and affiliated businesses—raises awareness of California’s leadership in sustainable winegrowing and winemaking. So join Eco News Network and raise your glass of red, white or rosé in a toast to sustainable winemaking!

During Down to Earth Month, California’s sustainable winegrowers will host sustainable wine events including Earth Day festivals, organic wine trails, dog-friendly vineyard hikes, wildlife talks, horseback rides, and eco-tours.

“We created Down to Earth Month as an engaging way for wine lovers to explore California wine’s sustainability practices and the people and places behind them,” said Bobby Koch, President and CEO of Wine Institute.  “It gives us the opportunity to celebrate and share the successes of our California Sustainable Winegrowing Program and help consumers and policy leaders understand our commitment to the environment.”

Nearly 308 vineyards and 80 wineries have earned Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing status through a third-party certification program launched by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. This represents more than 70 percent of California’s vineyard acreage and wine case production. California is the world’s fourth-largest wine producer.

Here are some highlights of the Down to Earth Month sustainable wine events:

North Coast

• April 17–26 Mendocino County wineries Party for the Planet where visitors can attend organic gardening demos, enjoy musical performances, taste organic foods and wines from local purveyors, visit the amazing farmers markets and take advantage of lodging specials.
• April 1-30 Green Trail of Dry Creek Valley customized experience to explorr the region’s certified organic and biodynamic wineries.
• April 19 Celebrate Earth Day in Green Valley showcases music, food, the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs of Green Valley and a true “rock star” experience: guest speaker Kevin Jorgeson, who free climbed the 3,000-foot Dawn Wall of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.
• April 25 Celebrate Earth Day in Downtown Napa highlights the Napa Valley Vintner’s commitment to having all their eligible members certified Napa Green by 2020.

San Francisco South Bay/Central Coast

• April 18 San Luis Obispo County Earth Day Food & Wine Festival offers a fun, casual experience with more than 200 growers, vintners and chefs serving local wines and foods with music, dancing and more.  Plus the event proceeds benefit educational scholarships for relatives of farmworkers.
• April 17-19 Central Coast Earth Day Food & Wine Weekend, Paso Robles will celebrate the region’s sustainable food and wine culture.
• April 18 Santa Cruz Mountains Organic Wine Trail celebrates its earth-friendly wine region with organic wine trails and the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association Passport Day offfers many eco-friendly barrel samples and special tasting flights.
• April 18-19 Livermore Valley wineries Down to Earth Tours and Tastings including guided tastings and organically farmed vineyard and winery tours where visitors can learn about energy conservation (some use solar power) and discover sustainable methods for pest, soil and plant management.
• April 25 The Taste of Pismo on will offer local, sustainably grown wine and edibles at Dinosaur Caves Park overlooking the ocean in Pismo Beach.

California Sustainable Winegrowing is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization established more than a decade ago by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers. CSWA has 1,900 vineyards and wineries program participants.

Photos courtesy of California Wine Institute.