1. Increasing Resilience to
Climate Change
Approaches in California’s Wine Grape Sector
L. Ann Thrupp, PhD.
Down to Earth Innovations
December 2019

3. Unprecedented Climate-related
Challenges in California
• Changes in climate and water availability
- Warming trend & climate fluctuations
• Manifestations:
– Physiological and phenological changes
– New pests and diseases  increased stress
– Water scarcity  decline in yield and vigor
– Extreme events: Drought and Fires

6. California’s Wine Grape Sector:
Key Factors for Resilience
1. Diversity – no single problem, no single solution
(variable soils, water sources, geography, weather
patterns, sizes, and practices)
2. Innovation  Proactive Leadership
3. Broad-reaching Sustainability Initiatives
include climate adaptation and mitigation

7. Economic and Policy Context
• California Wine Industry: 4th largest wine
producing region, nearly 4000 wineries, 5900
winegrape growers farm more than 100 varieties
of winegrapes in 139 unique AVAs
• Policy: Stringent environmental regulations. CA
Global Warming Solutions Act 2006 (AB32),
provides funds for GHG reduction & climate-
smart farming: Healthy Soils & Water Efficiency.
• Organizational initiatives: Many programs by
regional & state groups in the wine/grape sector

8. MANY “GREEN” PROGRAMS & CERTIFICATIONS:
EARLY INNOVATORS & LEADERS IN WINE/GRAPES
And more examples!

9. Growers & wineries actively involved in sustainability
efforts; early leaders were concerned & took actions to
address climate change, starting over 2 decades ago

10. THE CODE OF
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
(2002)A GROWER & VINTNER ALLIANCE
California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA)
400 pages; 143
vineyard practices and
104 winery practices

11. Meaning of Sustainability
Integration
of 3 goals –
Seeking
“win-win”
outcomes
Sometimes called the “triple bottom line”

12. Relationship between Sustainability &
other Concepts
Sustainable
Agriculture Organic
Biodynamic
Sustainability is a much broader concept,

13. Broad participation in statewide CA Sustainable
Winegrowing program – By numbers
• 2,000+ vineyards & wineries participating in CA
Sustainable Winegrowing Program (since 2002) -
and many more in regional programs
• 550+ CSWA workshops for nearly 14,000 people
•Certification:
• 715 Vineyards = 18.6% of CA acreage
• 115 Wineries = 66.7% of CA case production)
: CSWA,
Allison Jordan

14. GHG & Vineyards Report
• A comprehensive
report that
consolidates GHG
information
• A user-friendly
handout – vineyard
impacts on GHGs
• Identified research
gaps
Funded by a CDFA Grant
Source: CSWA,
Allison Jordan

15. DNDC Project – Vineyard GHG and
soil carbon sequestration
• Quantified soil-related GHG
emissions & carbon sequestration
for CA vineyards/soil
• Calibrated & validated
DeNitrification DeComposition
(DNDC) model using vineyard
field data
• Integrated into online metric
• Inputs: Vineyard location, Row
spacing, tillage practices, cover
crop, compost, amount of N used
Funded by a CDFA Specialty Crop Block Grant

16. International GHG Protocol to measure winery
emissions: 1st Released 2008; updated 2016
Wine Institute, with partners
from Australia, New Zealand &
South America

17. 17
VINEYARDS
WATER EFFICIENCY
85%
USED MICRO-IRRIGATION
SYSTEMS THAT ALLOW FOR
TARGETED IRRIGATION,
OPTIMIZING WATER USE AND
CONSERVATION.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
82%
REDUCED ENERGY USE
THROUGH WATER PUMP
IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH
TARGETED THE LARGEST
ENERGY SAVING OPPORTUNITY
IN THE VINEYARD.
SOIL HEALTH
95%
ALLOWED RESIDENT
VEGETATION TO GROW IN THE
VINEYARD, USED COVER CROPS
AND/OR COMPOSTED TO
ENCOURAGE SOIL NUTRIENT
CYCLING AND PROTECT SOIL
STRUCTURE.
PEST MANAGEMENT
84%
USED CULTURAL PRACTICES TO
NATURALLY MANAGE PESTS,
WHICH REDUCED THE NEED
FOR PESTICIDES.
SINCE 2013
802 VINEYARDS USED THE CODE TO EVALUATE
AND IMPROVE THEIR PRACTICES.
CSWA

18. 18
WINERIES SINCE 2013
138 WINERIES USED THE CODE TO MEASURE THEIR
SUSTAINABILITY AND IMPROVE PRACTICES
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
74%
OF VINTNERS CONDUCTED AN ENERGY AUDIT OF THEIR WINERY
OPERATIONS WITHIN THE LAST FIVE YEARS TO SAVE ENERGY,
CONTROL COSTS AND INCREASE PROFITABILITY.
WATER EFFICIENCY
84%
MEASURED AND MONITORED WATER USE TO MANAGE
IT RESPONSIBLY.
CSWA

19. Additionall Energy & GHG Reduction Highlights - CSWA
• Since 2005, 50 energy
management workshops for
>1,400 vintners and growers
• 520 energy-efficiency projects
resulted from 350 CA wineries
• $37.6 million in PG&E rebates
• 76,990 tons of CO2 emissions
eliminated = 12,918 cars off
the road for one year
• CSWA also developed
Performance metrics

20. Constellation - Fosters
1.7 million kw hours per year
Dozens of Solar Installations in California wineries
& vineyards in recent years (using incentives)
J Lohr – 750 KW
Tablas Creek Vineyards

21. Additional Initiatives:
MANY VINEYARDS AND WINERIES ARE INVOLVED
• University Research on soil health, GHG emissions
and carbon storage in vineyards, and new varietals
• Experiments in changing varietals in some areas
• Cooperative Extension programs
• Natural Resource Conservation Service (federal)
support on Soil Health (Cost Share incentive
programs, healthy soils outreach, etc.)
• Significant non-profit organizations such as CalCAN
and Carbon Cycle working on policies & science

22. Recent State Government Initiatives for
Soil Health
• Healthy Soils Incentive Program of the CA
Dept of Food and Agriculture – Cost Share
award program for soil health practices – $7.5
million in 2017 and $10 mill in 2018
– In 2017, 8 vineyard operations in CA received awards
(up to $32,000 per award) - out of 51 total awards to
farms
– In 2018, 24 vineyard operations in CA received
awards (up to $75,000 per award) - out of total 194
awards to farms
Source:
CDFA, 2019

23. Demonstrating Climate-friendly
Farming -
Case study of
Fetzer/Bonterra Vineyards

24. Where? Mendocino County

25. Wine Industry Sustainability Initiatives build on
experiences of pioneers
Case of Fetzer & Bonterra Vineyards
Fetzer: 2.5 million cases
of wine annually, pioneer
in sustainable practices
in winery
Bonterra: Leading
brand of wine made
with organic grapes in
the US , 350K cases

26. Also certified biodynamic farming and
wines on some Bonterra vineyards

27. “From the Earth to the Table”
Comprehensive systems approach
Vineyards and
Ecosystem: Soil, land,
water & biodiversity
conservation, integrated
pest management, air
quality, etc.
Winery: energy &
water conservation,
green energy, waste
reduction, packaging
innovations, etc.
Social
responsibility:
employee safety &
health , education,
housing, support
to community, etc.
MANY EMPLOYEES ARE INVOLVED

28. Summary of Organic & Sustainable
Practices at Bonterra – Early Adopters

29. Basic Approaches for Growing Winegrapes
Sustainably & Organically – In Bonterra’s Vineyards
• Building the health of the soil -
– with cover crops & compost
• Conservation of natural resources,
including soil, water and energy
• Integrated & organic pest management
– Elimination of synthetic chemicals
• Enhancement of biodiversity
– In vineyards, grape varieties, and in soil
– Around vineyards/landscape - ecosystem
• Protecting health & safety of
employees and communities
• Improving quality of grapes (balance)

30. Start with
Healthy Soil!
Compost made
from pomace)
helps build
healthy soil

32. Cover crops
between the vines
have multiple
ecosystem services
for vineyards

33. Cover crops and their ecosystem services
in vineyards
Cover Crops
Increase carbon and
organic matter and soil
fertility
Prevent
erosion
Improve soil
structure & health
Retain soil moisture
Attract benefical
insects
Increase soil
organisms and
soil carbon
Manage vine vigor
Thrupp, 1998,
adapted from
UNDP, 1995

34. Organic

Biodiversity conservation & enhancement

35. Conservation of Habitat and Biodiversity in vineyards
and landscape on Fetzer’s ranches:
Habitat corridors, hedgerows, conserved areas, creek
restoration
• Approximately 40% of the land owned by Fetzer is in natural habitat,
including riparian vegetation, grasslands, and woodlands
• Part of this: Conservation Easement – Mendocino Land Trust on
McNab Ranch – consists of 134 acres of vineyard & 276 forested acres

36. Documented benefits of hedgerows (UCCE /CSWA study, 2008)

37. Conservation of resources and biodiversity

38. Added Animal
Diversity

39. Energy Conservation & Renewable
Energy at the Winery
1. Energy conservation measures started in 1990s
2. Renewable Energy - Fetzer was first CA winery to
purchase 100% renewable energy for winery electricity in 1998
3. Solar Panels on Admin. Building - 1999
 40 kW photovoltaic system; 55,000 kWh a year
4. Solar Panels for bottling facility - 2006
 899 kW photovoltaic system

40. 899 Kw, system – 4300 panels; 75,000 sq feet
Power Purchase Agreement

41. Green Building & Zero Waste
• 1996, Admin Building
– Earth walls, recycled
wood, energy efficient
lighting, night air cooling,
and solar panels
• Waste Reduction program
since the early 1990s –
Fetzer has won many state
awards for leadership in
waste management

42. Climate Change Initiative:
Green House Gas Inventory at Fetzer
• Fetzer joined the California
Climate Action Registry (CCAR) in
2006
• Transitioned to the Climate Action
Reserve (CAR) in 2010
• Comprehensive analysis of GHG
emissions in winery operations
using CAR protocol

43. 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Direct Emissions 2,904 2,917 2,340 2,188 2,102
Indirect Emissions 192 98 389 117 62
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
3,500
GHGEmissions,tonsofCO2equivalents
Fetzer GHG Emissions
2005- 2009

44. Filling a Data Gap
• The CAR protocol did not include methods to
evaluate the carbon stocks from vineyards
and habitat/landscape on the property
• SO: Fetzer with UC Davis scientists
undertook unique study to evaluate the
carbon stocks (sequestration) from organic
vineyards & owned habitat/wildlands (2008-
2010).
– Thanks to Collaboration with Louise
Jackson, John Williams and team

45. Study by UC Davis Collaborators –
Fetzer /Bonterra Vineyards (2008-10)
• RESULTS: Across all 5 ranches, estimated
total C stocks averaged 113 tons/ha, totaling
135,337 Tons of Carbon
– Above-ground C stocks average 30 times greater in
forested wildlands compared to vineyards
– Below-ground soil C also greater in wildlands—on
average 16% higher than in vineyards at 1 meter
(m) depth; but still have high values in vineyards.
• By contrast: GHG emissions - 2,102 tons of
CO2e from the winery (yearly)
LE Jackson et al, 2010

46. Recent comparative study at Bonterra
(Davis scientists) – 2019
• Bonterra’s vineyards farmed with organic and
Biodynamic methods held 9.4%-12.8% more soil carbon
per acre, respectively, than conventionally farmed
vineyard.
• Total carbon storage averages 63.57 tons/hectare
– 89% of the total stored as soil organic carbon
– Remainder C stored in vines, conserved forest and
hedgerows

47. Implications
• Fetzer/Bonterra properties enable the
company to self-mitigate own emissions:
• Averaging 64 times more tons of carbon
stocks than C02 emitted in the winery
• Better than carbon neutral, the vineyards &
properties serve as a Carbon Sink

48. Continuing Climate-related Challenges
to California Vineyards
• Large-scale monocultural vineyards in some
regions still lack resilience
– Lack of diversity; Less flexibility in changing varietals
and practices
• Unexpected extreme events: drought & floods
• Lack of consensus on measurement protocol for
GHG/carbon; lack of data on economics of soil
health practices

49. Concluding thoughts:
Key Factors for Climate Resilience
1. Diversity – no single problem, no single solution
2. Innovation  Proactive Leadership - don’t
wait until it’s too late
3. Broad-reaching Sustainability Initiatives.
Agriculture is a key part of climate solutions; helps
to have support by institutions, research & policies

50. Thank You
Contact Information:
annthrupp@gmail.com
Thanks to Allison Jordan, CSWA for information on CSWA state
programs, and Louise Jackson and Joseph Brinkley on carbon studies