(St. Helena, CA. June 5th, 2017) – In its continued commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable stewardship, HALL and WALT Wines, a premier portfolio of luxury wineries and tasting rooms located in Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley, has received Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE) Certification by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA). The certification applies to all eight HALL proprietary vineyards, and three WALT vineyards located across Napa Valley and Sonoma County.
“By incorporating the principals of sustainability into our vineyards, we have once again taken a huge step towards solidifying our role as an industry leader in environmental stewardship”, says President of HALL and WALT Wines, Mike Reynolds. “The sustainability certification is grounded in the idea of continuous improvement, which is lockstep with the vision of HALL and WALT wines: producing the best wines possible while protecting and preserving the environment though real and definitive practices.”
Launched in January 2010, Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE) aims to advance the wine growing industry as a whole by serving as a catalyst for continuous improvement and encouraging vineyard and winery companies of all sizes to participate in sustainable growing practices. Certification helps maintain the California wine industry’s leadership position on sustainability, communicate with stakeholders that are increasingly interested in sustainable business practices, and increase transparency to ensure confidence and credibility. The long-term mission for the Sustainable Winegrowing Program includes:
- Establishing voluntary high standards of sustainable practices to be followed and maintained by the entire wine community
- Enhancing winegrower-to-winegrower and vintner-to-vintner education on the importance of sustainable practices and how self-governing will enhance the economic viability and future of the wine community
- Demonstrating how working closely with neighbors, communities and other stakeholders to maintain an open dialogue can address concerns, enhance mutual respect, and accelerate results.
“The California wine community has a deep commitment to responsible environmental, business and community practices, and it’s exciting for HALL Wines to be recognized for their sustainability efforts through the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing program,” stated Allison Jordan, Executive Director of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance.
To become CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE, wineries and vineyards must meet all prerequisites and other certification requirements established by the CSWA, such as an annual self-assessment, Sustainability Performance Metrics for Water, Energy, Nitrogen and GHGs, 58 required prerequisite practices for vineyards, and 37 required prerequisite practices for wineries. Participants are granted certification once all requirements are met and verified by a CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE Accredited Auditor.
HALL and WALT Wines own over 500 planted acres in Napa County, Sonoma County and Mendocino County all of which received the California Sustainable Certification. In addition five of their eleven estate vineyards are California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). HALL St. Helena was also named the first LEED Gold certified winery in California. HALL and WALT proprietor Ambassador Kathryn Walt Hall will be a featured speaker at a panel called “Fire and Rain: Climate Change and the Wine Industry” at Vinexpo Bordeaux on June 18th to discuss the wineries’ achievements in sustainability.
For more information, please visit www.hallwines.com and www.waltwines.com
About California Sustainable Growing Alliance
The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) is a San Francisco-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization incorporated in 2003 created by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers to promote the benefits of sustainable winegrowing practices, enlist industry commitment and assist in implementation of the Sustainable Winegrowing Program. A prominent feature of the Sustainable Winegrowing Program is the active participation of vintners and growers throughout all phases and a continued focus on partnerships.
About HALL Wines
HALL Wines represents critically acclaimed artisan Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from two tasting room and winery locations in St. Helena and Rutherford. Owned by Craig and Kathryn Hall, its vineyard collection features five Certified Organic estates producing classic Bordeaux varietals. Each vintage, Winemaker Steve Leveque crafts 15 distinct Cabernet Sauvignon wines which demonstrate the unique characteristics and diversity of Napa Valley. HALL’s highly rated wines include the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, selected as Wine Spectator’s #18 of the ‘Top 100’ in 2010, the HALL 2008 “Kathryn Hall” Cabernet Sauvignon that earned #2 Wine Spectator “Top 100” Wines, and its 2010 ‘Exzellenz’ earned 100 points by Robert Parker. Collectively, over 140 HALL Wines have been rated 90 points and above. HALL Wines employs high-density plantings and small vine viticulture combined with two cutting-edge, gravity-flow wineries to produce the highest quality wines. In addition, the HALL St. Helena winery was the first LEED® Gold Certified Winery in the State of California, making HALL Wines pioneers in the use of green buildings for the wine industry. The site maintains one acre of solar panels on its roof and uses 100% recycled water throughout its processes. Each of HALL’s state-of-the-art winemaking facilities and tasting rooms combine modern art and architecture with comfortable luxury, and warm hospitality for winery guests. For more information, please visit www.hallwines.com, or call 707.967.2626.
About WALT Wines
WALT specializes in premier, vineyard designate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the most coveted vineyards along the Pacific Coast, spanning 1,000 miles from as far north as the Willamette Valley to the Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County. WALT represents wines of a place – these special sites where thoughtful viticulture enables winemakers to create expressive wines that reflect the signature personality of each site. WALT farms three estate vineyards and partners with meticulous growers who aspire to shared standards for quality.
Owned by Kathryn Walt Hall and her husband Craig Hall, the winery honors Kathryn’s parents, Bob and Dolores Walt, who were grape growers in Mendocino County since 1972 and nurtured Kathryn’s passion for vineyards and wine. The WALT Sonoma Square Tasting Room opened in 2012 and is located in Sonoma, CA and is open to the public. For more information, please visit www.waltwines.com, or call (707) 933-4440.
