Napa Valley Joins the Porto Protocol to Fight Climate Change Globally

Mike Pomranz
Napa Valley Vintners is the first American wine trade association to join the pact.

Global warming is an especially vital issue in the winemaking world because climate plays such a significant role in the process. Vineyards depend on consistent weather year-to-year to churn out strong vintages, and though long-term shifts may benefit some emerging regions like England, they also threaten to destroy the tradition of longstanding regions like Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Chateauneuf-du-Pape.

As one of America’s oldest and most notable wine regions, the Napa Valley understands this latter issue all too well. And with so much at stake, Napa has also been a leader in the United States when it comes to fighting climate change. Furthering those efforts, this week, the trade association Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) announced that they had become the first North American trade group to sign on to the Porto Protocol — a set of principles that encourages companies across all industries to do more to combat global warming. The initiative was launched last year by Adrian Bridge of the wine brand Taylor’s Port, and features many signatories from within the industry, but also features big names like Toyota and PWC.

“As new signatories to the Porto Protocol, the NVV has further broadened their commitment to environmental stewardship,” Robin Lail, who serves as U.S. Representative of the Porto Protocol and is a multigenerational Napa Valley vintner herself, said in the announcement. “Just like the NVV’s ambitious goal to have all their eligible members in the Napa Green program by the end of 2020, the Porto Protocol is another important step in addressing climate change.”

The Napa Green sustainability certification program was established by the NVV in 2015 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Currently, over 70 percent of the group’s members have joined the program. The hope is that all eligible members will be involved by 2020.

“I am delighted that the NVV has joined the Porto Protocol as they are an organization that has always taken a far-sighted view of environmental matters,” Adrian Bridge added. “The Porto Protocol serves as a platform to share best practices in mitigating climate change. Members of the NVV have much to share with fellow vintners around the world and I look forward to their experiences helping to accelerate the speed with which the global wine industry combats climate change issues.”