Officially CCOF Certified
What is Sustainability?
From our old vines to our water usage and how we treat our employees, we see ourselves as stewards of the environment to preserve this land for future generations.
At Gundlach Bundschu we believe that sustainability extends beyond our soil, vines, and wines. If we’ve learned one thing about being responsible stewards of this land, it’s that it requires constant innovation and action. From our solar panels to our water recycling system, and now our formal organic certification, when you drink a glass of GB wine you are helping to support a healthier, happier, more sustainable world for us all. (And the fact that the wine tastes better is just a bonus!)
Why Organic?
We believe that preserving the unique ecosystem of Rhinefarm is essential to wine quality, as well as to the health of our family, our business, and our larger community.
What does it mean to farm Organically?
In the vineyards, our organic farming practices include the introduction of beneficial predators, from owls and bluebirds to beetles and mites, and intensive pest monitoring allows us to minimize the use of pesticides and herbicides. Cover crops contribute vital diversity and nutrition to the soils, and we utilize organic compounds and practices whenever possible.
Our grazing crew includes goats, sheep, donkeys and cows, who assist in the build up of soil health as well as help with fire mitigation with dry brush in our native landscape. The sheep are taken care of by two adorable little puppies, Bert and Ernie, born Spring of 2022.
But, our sustainability doesn’t end with farming…
At GB, sustainable business practices go way beyond soil and vine. We continually seek ways to enhance environmental quality and make the most efficient use of our resources.
Vigilant management of our irrigation program promotes conservation, and we recycle 70% of winery water using a 100% solar powered water-reclamation system.
More on those fancy solar panels:
In November 2008, two new solar arrays were installed on our property—we removed 325 vines to make space for the solar energy systems. The first, a 1.3 acre 80kw system, provides 60% of the winery power. The second, a “photovoltaic” system, was the first of its kind in Sonoma County. The panels float on our wastewater ponds and provide 100% of the power for our water reclamation system. These two systems reduce our carbon footprint by 99.2 metric tons of CO2— the same amount of energy it takes to drive around the world 100 times.
We also recycle all cardboard, glass, cork, and plastics on the property and use wood chips for weed control, as well as grape pomace to reintroduce nutrients back into ground soil.
Check out the timeline of our past achievements and future goals as we work to achieve our Regenerative Organic Certification in August 2023.
