At Frank Family, we believe in intentional winemaking and honor a thoughtful commitment to sustainable farming. We are proud our vineyards and winery are 100% third-party certified sustainable by Napa Green since 2015 and work to continuously improve our green efforts year after year. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we are sharing how we support sustainability efforts in the vineyard and in the winery.
In the Vineyard
We believe sustainable farming produces grapes with stronger character and a greater sense of place. For this reason, we are dedicated to soil-to-bottle stewardship and take our commitment to vineyard sustainability very seriously.
💧 We conserve water by monitoring the needs of the vines with a surface renewal system which prevents over-irrigation. We keep water conservation at top of mind with the ultimate goal of dry farming. Only run-off rainwater collected in the property’s reservoir is used for irrigation at our Benjamin and Winston Hill Vineyards.
🌱We cultivate a permanent cover crop to improve soil health and provide a natural habitat for beneficial insects and wildlife. We plant an array of diverse crops such as grasses, legumes, and clover.
🍇 We return grape stems, skins, seeds, and other winemaking by-products to the land as organic compost. Through the use of compost we reduce erosion and sediment runoff.
In the Winery
While great wine begins in the vineyard, environmentally conscious winemaking extends beyond the land. The winery plays a major role in our sustainability efforts from water and energy conservation, waste-material management, creating a healthy workspace, and being good neighbors.
đź’ˇOur state-of-the-art winery was redesigned in 2008 with sustainability in mind. We have since reduced energy use by installing skylights which enhance natural light. Increased insulation also allows us to use less air conditioning in warmer months and less heat in cooler months.
đź’§To conserve water, Frank Family has installed flow meters in the winery, forgoes water in place of steam whenever possible, recycles winery wastewater into landscaping, and reuses chemical washes for tanks, using one set of chemicals for three tanks
♻️ We recycle all grape must, corks, packaging and capsules, as well as all office supplies such as ink cartridges and paper.
🔬Winemaker Todd Graff is experimenting with a variety of cold stabilization techniques to reduce energy use including trials on chemical stabilization, filter stabilization, and cell stab stabilization, which is a cellulose product that prevents solids from forming.
📦 We introduced new packaging in early 2019 that better reflects our commitment to sustainability. All our wine club boxes are now 100% recyclable, biodegradable, and compostable and we are committed to phasing out wood boxes entirely.
