I’ve been a big fan of The Hess Collection for years and years. The wine made at the Napa Valley estate is superb, and the art collection of owner Donald Hess—a portion of which is on display at the winery—is…

All this week, in recognition of Earth Day on Monday, we’ve been looking at how various wineries are contributing to a more sustainable planet—a topic that’s kind of important, considering we live on the planet in question. We began in…

Some winery owners make the decision to “protect the land” because it’s good business. And there’s nothing wrong with that, as long as the ultimate results are good for the environment. Most vintners, however, understand that a more “healthy” environment…

As we continue our week-long look at wineries that take their stewardship of the land seriously, let’s visit a vineyard in California’s Santa Barbara County that has been farmed biodynamically since 2006. It is the Purisima Mountain Vineyard of Beckmen…

All this week, in recognition of Earth Day, we’re devoting our blog to wineries that are taking steps to protect the land and the climate for future generations. Yesterday, we began with a look at the organic practices embraced by…

Unless you’ve unplugged your television set and radio… and turned off your cell phone, iPad and other electronic devices… and still have your calendar turned to March… you know that today is Earth Day. It’s the one day out of the…

What could Pacific Gas & Electric, the giant utility that provides electricity and natural gas to Californians from Bakersfield to just south of the Oregon border, possibly have in common with theCalifornia Sustainable Winegrowing Program? Actually, quite a lot.

It has become, if not one of the rites, then certainly one of the signals of spring in Sonoma County: the opening of Korbel Champagne Cellars’ garden. In 2013, that opening takes place today. Long-time wine writer colleague Margie Healy…

The decision to go solar was an easy one for Dana Merrill of Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery in Templeton, Calif. As this story details, he had already seen how his son had slashed home energy costs by going solar. Receiving grant funding from th…

Flora Springs is an acclaimed Napa Valley winery that’s probably best known for its Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend known as “Trilogy.” The wine has developed such a large fan base over the years that the winery hosts an annual pre-release party. (…