The garden at Sonoma County’s Korbel Champagne Cellars is subtly different this season, and it is all due to the current California drought and Korbel’s ongoing sustainability efforts.
For years, the Korbel Garden has utilized a range of sustainable cultivation techniques, including compost made from vineyard waste, low-flow drip irrigation (run only at night) and integrated pest management with beneficial bugs and nematodes — not unlike those used in Korbel’s estate vineyards.
But the drought has prompted Korbel to intensify its sustainability efforts to further conserve water. In the garden, the changes include replacing some annuals with perennials, adding more compost to some beds, increasing plantings of drought-resistant California natives, and limiting “color” plantings — all techniques applicable to home gardens.
Practicing sustainable gardening and farming techniques is always a good idea, but it’s particularly important in times of drought.
We featured Korbel in a Wineries of Distinction post last week, which you can read here.
