SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – All this rain has been a boon for North Bay wineries who are looking to be more sustainable with their water use amid the California drought.
For more, stream KCBS Radio now.
The torrential downpour has been detrimental for some, but winery owners in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino are turning the weather into an opportunity.
There is maybe no better visual of our saturated soils than the water-soaked vineyards of Sonoma and Napa counties. "The ground profile is now full so that’ll help the grapevines into the spring and summer," Steve Dutton with Dutton Ranch told KCBS Radio.
He said the rain won't impact the grapes, but it will change how grape-growers prepare for harvest.
Aaron Stainthorp is sustainability director at Jackson Family Wines, where their La Crema Winery is using aging tanks to store excess water. "It's a very exciting concept, but it's also very simple," he told KCBS Radio.
On the winery's roofs, a small box diverts the runoff from solar panels. "There's a number of drops, each one of these gutters were tied into it, but that way we can collect water from the whole roof and channel it inside," Stainthorp said.
The water is then used for cooling, cleaning and anything else that doesn't involve the wine. It's helped to cut the company's water impact in half. "So far this year we've collected 50,000 gallons. We're anticipating hitting close to 200,000 gallons later this winter," he explained.
With the right filtration, the water can be stored until it's needed.
DOWNLOAD the Audacy App
SIGN UP and follow KCBS Radio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Related
