Wente Vineyards Unveils Sustainability-Driven Packaging Ahead of Earth Month

Wente Vineyards, the country’s longest, continuously family-owned and operated winery, is proud to announce an important packaging refresh that puts its Sustainable Vineyard and Winery certification center-stage on all front labels while transitioning to lighter, more carbon-neutral glass for its bottles. This significant update was championed by the family’s fifth generation winegrowers, whose forward-thinking approach to sustainability continues to push the envelope in defining how ethical practices are measured.

Wente Vineyards’ 2021 Morning Fog Chardonnay, just released this week, marks the first wine to reflect the new packaging. Each new vintage release going forward in the Wente Vineyards portfolio will make the transition with every new bottling.

“Our commitment to responsible farming has always been one of the core pillars of Wente Vineyards,” said Niki Wente, Fifth-Generation Winegrower and Director of Vineyard Operations. “Proudly stating on the front label that we are a Certified Sustainable Vineyard and Winery better communicates that priority to our Wente Vineyards’ consumers – an audience who has become increasingly engaged when it comes to ethically produced wines.”

Wente Vineyards is a certified sustainable vineyard and winery from the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CCSW). Fewer than ten percent of wineries hold both the vineyard and winery certifications, and Wente Vineyards is proud to be counted among them. The certification is verified annually by a third party on over sixty vineyards and forty-one winery prerequisites. Year after year, Wente Vineyards must demonstrate continuous improvements and implement action plans for the following year’s initiatives. Each year, Wente Vineyards goes well beyond what is required to maintain the certification.

One of the 2022 action plans now underway is the transition of Wente Vineyards bottles to lighter-weight glass, reducing reduce fuel usage for transport, and thus decreasing carbon emissions from the supplier to the consumer. To further increase energy efficiencies, a new bottling line is currently being installed and will be in operation by early 2023.

The choice of 2021 Morning Fog Chardonnay as among the first wines to reflect the new packaging holds an additional significance. Morning Fog Chardonnay is one of Wente Vineyards two most distributed wines (along with Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon), sold nationwide and internationally. The new lightweight glass molds will make a measurable difference to the winery’s global footprint and carbon emission. Further, last year’s 2020 Morning Fog was the first vintage to transition to a Central Coast AVA designation, which helped catapult Wente Vineyards’ flagship label to its best year on record. That additional visibility facilitates an even greater consumer audience, whose purchasing decisions are expected to be increasingly driven by ethical winemaking practices.

The new packaging comes on the heels of Wente Vineyards’ recent website refresh, which includes a new page highlighting the estate’s ongoing sustainability practices – updated regularly with the most current improvements and initiatives.

Wente Vineyards is recognized as one of California’s premier wine country destinations, featuring wine tasting, food and wine experiences, and championship golf.  The winery draws from certified sustainable estate Central Coast vineyards in the Livermore Valley, San Francisco Bay, and Arroyo Seco, Monterey appellations to create an outstanding array of fine wines.