Coastal Winds Not Only Ripen Grapes, They Power Vineyard’s Winemaking Sustainably

Coastal Winds Not Only Ripen Grapes, They Power Vineyard’s Winemaking Sustainably

Coastal Winds Not Only Ripen Grapes, They Power Vineyard’s Winemaking Sustainably credit – Scheid Family Wines As green as the Chardonnay grapes they grow, a winery along the base of California’s coastal Santa Lucia Mountains run entirely on wind power. The mountains’ unique geography keeps the area windy, which powers not only a large private wind turbine, but a delayed and elongated growing season that complicates and matures the flavor in the grapes to award-winning levels. Owned by Scheid Family Wines, Isabelle’s is one of several that benefit from this mixture of perfect soil, cooling fog, warm sun, and constant wind—as well as the Scheid family’s focus on sustainability. Hi-tech sensors distribute water to each individual vine as needed, and not a drop more. Insulating jackets on the wine-processing equipment reduces energy consumption for temperature regulation. Large skylights and adaptive facility lighting mean that the winery’s interior is maximally lit by natural light. Dozens of…