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Each year, we do as much as we can to minimize our impact on our environment and become a more sustainable business. Below are a few of the eco-friendly projects that we are most proud of.
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Toxic Use Reduction
As of 2019, herbicide usage for weed control has been reduced by 90%. Herbicides are typically used to control weeds in vineyards, which take resources and water away from grape vines. After working with a vineyard and winemaking consultant, Stephen Delencourt, we have implemented the usage of cover crops in our vineyards. By tilling up the soil and planting desired cover crops, such as rye in between grape vines, these cover crops overcome undesirable weeds. This reduces and practically eliminates our usage of chemical herbicides.
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Renewable Energy
Solar Power: In 2012, a 1/2 acre solar field was installed behind our tasting room. This powers the entire tasting room facility. Annually, we draw less than 3% energy from the electrical grid.
Geothermal Energy: Our storage warehouse is cooled by Geothermal Energy. Geothermal pumps, or geoexchange, is a clean and efficient renewable energy technology used to heat and cool our warehouse space. A geothermal pump is an electrically powered unit which transfers energy to and from the earth.
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Other Waste
We put select wines in a can, rather than in bottles. Can packaging offers less impact on the environment because they are a lot lighter than bottles, creating a much smaller carbon footprint. They also take less cardboard to hold and transport. Furthermore, cans are made with much more recycled content than glass bottles, typically being 70%. Additionally, nearly half of the wine bottles we use are produced from eco-friendly materials.
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Waste Recycling
Recycling receptacles are located throughout the entire William Heritage property. All wine bottles are recycled from all activities and events. All of our cardboard boxes used to packages our wine comes from a 100% solar powered facility and all are broken down and recycled separately. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_icon icon_fontawesome=”fas fa-wine-bottle” color=”white” background_style=”rounded” background_color=”custom” align=”center” custom_background_color=”#b7aba1″][vc_column_text]
Waste Reduction
In the winter of 2018, William Heritage Winery launched a wine on tap program. Select wines are put into stainless steel kegs to be sold as wine by the glass and sold in wine growlers to customers. Wine on tap dramatically reduces packaging such as wine bottles, corks, capsules, and cardboard wine boxes.
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Water Conservation
William Heritage Winery practices “dry farming” with their vineyards. Less than 20% of the grape vines grown on the property are irrigated. By transitioning over 60 acres of tree fruit to grape vines, and implementing dry farming, we have reduced water usage for irrigation by nearly 80% annually.
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Bring Back the Birds
William Heritage Winery has installed bird houses and hawk nests to bring back various bird populations. Certain birds are an amazing asset to control insects & pests without using harmful pesticides.
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The list goes on, but there is still much more that we can do. Our winery will remain committed to reducing our environmental impact with each passing year.
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