St Supéry: IWCA Gold membership

Napa Valley Estate Winery Committed to Carbon Neutrality by 2050 gains prestigious IWCA Gold Member status.

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St. Supéry joined IWCA in 2021 and has worked to reduce emissions intensity by 48% through lighter glass choices, removal of capsules on its Napa Valley Estate wines, and enhanced recycling efforts. With the latest assessment, St. Supéry joins Jackson Family Wines, Opus One, and Spottswoode as the four North America wineries to reach Gold Membership. Factors that moved St. Supéry to Gold Membership included enhanced waste reduction and recycling.

The winery participates in a tin capsule recycling program that generates funds for local school classroom supplies through the Teacher Resource Program. Additionally, the winery recycles corks, has a composting program, and is trialing further reductions in glass weight for its Napa Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon.

St. Supéry’s Winemaker Brooke Shenk is a founding leader of the North Bay Zero Waste Collective, which is recycling PET label release liner and stretch film. Shenk and her winery team serve as a recycling drop-off hub for surrounding businesses, enabling the community as a whole to further reduce waste. “The momentum we are seeing around the PET label release liner and stretch film recycling is incredible,” noted Brooke Shenk, “It’s not just recycling, we are creating opportunities for these recycling materials, including conversion to TREX decking material and automotive flooring. The latest batch of recycled stretch film is being turned back into new stretch film. The group has also found a program for reuse of nitrile gloves, all in an effort to divert waste from landfill.”

Over the years, St. Supéry invested in solar energy, refined its water conservation efforts, performed necessary Napa River restoration along its eastern property boarder, and invested in two Monarch electric tractors for its 576 acres of estate vineyards, while leaving two-thirds of its 1600+ acre estate lands wild.

Adding to the winery’s extensive biodiversity and regenerative farming practices, over 1,000 sheep live at the Dollarhide Estate each winter to naturally graze down grasses between vine rows and the surrounding lands until early spring.

“From the very beginning, we have farmed and operated as stewards of the land with preservation as our top priority. Every little improvement adds up and makes a difference. I am so proud of the work we are achieving in reducing our carbon footprint and acting as leaders in sustainability here in Napa Valley,” said St. Supéry CEO, Emma Swain, “We are immensely grateful to Jackson Family Wines and Familia Torres for founding IWCA and the tools for measuring and evaluating impact to move toward the net zero goal. I encourage our fellow vintners here in Napa Valley and beyond to join this important organization which has streamlined our ability to measure and report our progress.”

“We are delighted to that Opus One have achieved Gold membership of IWCA,” said Katie Jackson, President of IWCA. “As Napa’s most important wine business, their success comes to reinforce the presence of IWCA there. As vine growers, we are severely suffering from the consequences of climate change, our duty to future generations is to act now. We hope that many more wineries, inside and outside our country, join our cause to accelerate the decarbonization of the wine industry.”

The IWCA Annual Report is published each November showcasing members’ individual efforts in their journey to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, giving an exclusive snapshot of how wineries are adopting innovative practices in the face of climate change. It is an essential read for commentators, opinion-formers, buyers, and fellow winery owners who appreciate the real need to tackle the climate crisis in the context of the long-term sustainability of the wine industry.

Join the movement

IWCA actively invites wineries interested in its mission to contact us. The organization is open to any wine company involved in the production process from winegrowing to bottling that believes in taking strategic action to accelerate innovative climate solutions. 

Visit www.iwcawine.org to learn how your winery can apply to join this organization. IWCA actively invites wineries interested in its mission to contact us. The organization is open to any wine company involved in the production process from winegrowing to bottling that believes in taking strategic action to accelerate innovative climate solutions.