Our Commitment to Sustainability
“Chateau Montelena Winery has been a pioneer in sustainability for over 40 years. In short, we were green before being green was trendy. When the Barrett’s restarted Montelena in the early 1970’s it was during the time of the hippies “back to the land” movement and the words we used then were “Environmentalism” and so forth...
Much of the reason The Barrett Family fell in love with Chateau
Montelena and moved from L.A. to live on this magnificent tiny
corner of our wonderful "water planet" came from this back to the
land philosophy and we have never wavered in our love of the land
and our philosophy of being "careful stewards of the place."
Over the decades we have extended and refined this stewardship
to be reflected in all aspects of our business - from farming to
wine production to sales and marketing - all embody our philosophy
of sustainability; it guides how we farm, the products we purchase,
how we handle our waste, the construction and operation of our
winery, and how we care for our community. Whether it's our 220KW
solar array or the simple act of composting our coffee grounds,
Chateau Montelena believes that sustainable business practices are
an integral part of all good business practices. Think about it,
from the original 1886 construction of Chateau, buried in the earth
to control wine temperature (in the days before electricity and
refrigeration), to our extensive use of naturally cooled caves
& modern energy efficient systems, respect for the environment
has always been a part of Chateau Montelena. Sustainability is not
a goal or target that we are trying to achieve; it is the
philosophy that is woven into everything we do. We are committed to
being good stewards of our land and bringing the highest quality
product to our customers. We're not claiming to be perfect or even
idealists, but the fact is, we live and make our wines with an
ongoing love for the environment of the planet and her
passengers."
Bo Barrett, Master Winemaker
Courtesy of Chateau Montelena, visitors to the winery who drive electric-powered vehicles can now charge their batteries while they enjoy our hospitality.
Napa Green Certified Winery is a Napa-specific set of sustainable and green business practices developed for wineries.
Fish Friendly Farming® provides for voluntary, self-directed compliance with the rigorous standards of state and federal water quality laws, the Federal Endangered Species Act, and state pesticide laws as well as local regulations.
Determined to conserve and protect the environment in all aspects of winery operations, we completed the installation of our 220 KW solar power electric system in 2007 to sustain our energy needs.
Built to barrel age wine, previously done in the Chateau's cellar, this extensive tunnel system covers 25,000 square feet of area and provides ample room for 4,000 barrels.
The general concept of sustainability is a complex subject, often touching on issues of environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. It is a reality to be reckoned with in many industries and, by the potentially global nature of its reach, in one way or another will affect all 6 billion people on the planet.
