Today, Sonoma County winemaker Jackson Family Wines (JFW) unveiled its first sustainability report, supported by a list of comprehensive 5-year goals. The family-owned wine company, known for its portfolio of over 30 premium wineries, including household names as Kendall-Jackson, La Crema and Cambria, is a progressive leader in environmentally and socially responsible business practices.
Founded in 1982 by wine pioneer, entrepreneur and philanthropist Jess Jackson, today Jackson Family Wines is led by Jackson’s wife - chairman & proprietor Barbara Banke - and the Jackson family.
“Today’s wine consumers are passionate about sustainability and support wineries that share their values, so I am truly excited to reveal the details of our progress and our ambitious five-year goals in this inaugural report,” said Katie Jackson, VP of Sustainability and External Affairs.
Highlights of Jackson Family Wines’ progress since 2008 include:
- Certification for all family-owned wineries and vineyards through third-party sustainability programs: California Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW), Sustainability in Practice (SIP), or Low Input Viticulture & Enology (LIVE)
- 31 percent reduction in winery water use
- 6.5 megawatts of onsite solar PV systems deployed across 9 wineries, the wine industry’s largest solar portfolio
- 8.4 megawatt hours of energy stored onsite through Tesla Energy’s stationary battery storage systems
- 17 percent reduction in Scope 1-3 market based greenhouse gas intensity
- 98 percent of bottling line materials recycled annually
- Support for more than 50 community-based, mission-driven non-profits
Jackson Family Wines’ ongoing commitment to sustainability is rooted in the family’s multi-generational vision to make world-class wines while having a positive and lasting impact upon natural resources, employees and surrounding communities. Its approach is comprised of four sustainability pillars:
- Sustaining our lands – The Jackson family recognized long ago that responsible farming is essential to the health of any ecosystem. As a result, developing the best possible growing conditions for its vineyards has been a primary goal for more than thirty years. JFW employs practices including wildlife-friendly vineyard design, natural soil enhancements and pest management, and erosion control with its vineyards, with an eye on preserving the existing biodiversity and resilient ecosystems. 2021 goals in this area include:
- Commit to at least one land conservation/restoration project per year
- Source 85 percent of all grower fruit from certified sustainable vineyards
- Power 50 percent of winemaking operations from onsite renewable energy generation
- Crafting our wines – JFW says it takes enormous pride in creating wines that speak to the character and quality of its vineyards and the care it takes in managing its land. Its farming and winemaking practices are tied to the responsible management of resources; the company is working to redefine winemaking by leading the field with innovative approaches to managing its operations and promoting the interests of its employees and surrounding communities. 2021 goals in this area include:
- Reduce market-based scope 1-3 greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent per gallon produced from 2015 baseline
- Further reduce water intensity per gallon of wine by 33 percent over 2015 baseline
- Increase water security
- Achieve zero-waste tasting rooms
- Double facility solid waste diversion
- Advancing the field – As a family-owned, multi-generational wine business, JFW recognizes the importance of contributing to the advancement of winemaking through the exploration of new technologies, strategic partnerships, and conservation work with federal, state, and local resource agencies. 2021 goals include:
- Establish a volunteer program that supports a 75 percent employee volunteer participation rate annually
- Establish a domestic paid internship program that creates a pathway to full-time employee positions
- Pilot an innovative trial or continue an ongoing experimental pilot project each year
- Innovation– Throughout its operations, JFW is experimenting with innovative growing methods, energy generation and storage technologies and new ways of approaching historic winemaking issues.
JFW’s ongoing commitment to sustainability is right at home in Sonoma County, which in 2014 committed to becoming the nation’s first 100 percent sustainable wine region by 2019. In 2015, the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission created a 100-year business plan aimed at preserving the region’s agriculture well into the 22nd century.