Or taken a sip from the House wine at some fine dining establishment, and tried to quickly recover from the pursed lips that would reveal it tasted a bit sour?

You probably chalked these experiences up to simply a bad bottle, or the Sommelier at the restaurant likely whisked it away uttering something about the batch of grapes that particular year. 
But did you know that the culprit was most likely the continually changing climate?

Experts say that grapes grown to make wine are more adversely effected than any other crop, making it even more critical for wineries to focus on reducing the negative effects on the environment.  So, from organic wine (wine that has been produced from organically grown grapes) to biodynamic agriculture (organic farming that excludes the use of artificial chemicals on soil and plants), the wine industry is committed to this important initiative. 

In addition, certified ‘green’ programs like the ‘Napa Valley Green Certified Winery’ are popping up all over the world, establishing sustainable and green business practices for wineries.  Certified wine production facilities demonstrate a commitment to conserving water and energy, reducing waste and preventing pollution with the primary goal of reducing their overall carbon footprint.  The result is less carbon emissions and more flavorful grapes.  

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As a friend pointed out to me though, you’re almost more hard-pressed to find wineries that don’t have some sort of green aspect to them, these days. From solar panels, to wind energy, to organic growing standards, wineries are becoming more and more eco-friendly every day.

There are a number of resources on finding green wineries in California. The Bay Area Green Business Program lists wineries both in Napa and Sonoma counties that meet their requirements. You can check out this sustainablog post rating some Bay Area wineries. And though this winery guide from Green Girls LA is a few years old, it’s still fairly accurate and comprehensive.

Of the wineries my group stopped at this past weekend, my favorite by far was Grgich Hills Estate in Rutherford, CA. Don’t let the difficult to pronounce name deter you; Grgich Hills is the only winery in Napa Valley that features exclusively biodynamic wines. When you first start explaining biodynamic processes, you’re met with a lot of skepticism. (As soon as I said “cycles of the moon” I could see eyes rolling in my group.) Fortunately our server at Grgich was able to explain it in a very practical way.

• » See also: Solar Energy and Energy Efficiency financing through your property tax now available in Napa, CA
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Biodynamic wineries are, by definition organically certified, they just take it a few extra steps. Because they remove any chemicals from the process, they look at their vineyards as ecosystems, taking a holistic approach to the way they care for the land and their crops. A particularly interesting practice involves burying a cow horn filled with manure in the soil. It sounds almost like witchcraft, but in fact it adds calcium and other nutrients to the soil in an efficient way. (Read more about the biodynamic philosophies and processes on Grgich’s website. They’ve also recently gone solar.)

Ok, so solar panels, compost, that all sounds great… but how does it taste?

Perhaps it’s my particular palate, but the wines we tasted at Grgich were my favorite of the day. I love Zinfandels, and the ones we sampled here were fantastic. We took home a bottle of their 2005 Zin, and were also treated to an off-the-menu sample of Miljenko’s Old Vine Zinfandel, grown from vines over 100 years old. Both my husband and I who normally have very different tastes in wine agreed that it was our favorite of the day. Unfortunately, though, The release was very limited, and we tasted the last drops of it before it sold out.

I’m no wine expert by any means, so I love visiting green wineries like this, where the staff are more likely to discuss soil quality and cover crops with me, than try to woo me with tasting notes. Although, that being said, I can’t wait to try a glass of my fruit forward Zinfandel alongside a plate of pasta with tomato sauce… Mmm…

For more wine-related posts on Green Options, check out:

Wine, Tea, and TV Dinners: “The Green Does Food”

Drinking Carbon Neutral - America’s Greenest Winery

Wining about Global Warming