Napa Green sustainability group for wineries spins off as nonprofit, names top exec

Napa Valley Vintners’ program to certify those wine operations as using sustainable practices has a new designation and a new leader.

Napa Green, described has a “soil to bottle” certification program focused on a environmental issues and climate change issues, is now a separate nonprofit, led by new Executive Director Anna Brittain.

Napa Green is a program of the 550-member Napa Valley Vintners - a trade group for the area’s wine industry. Under the program, established in 2005, the group announced a goal to have all members participating by 2020. Its Monday announcement stated the current Napa Green program has a participation rate of 80%.

Elements of the program include embracing 100 practices “to improve energy and water efficiency, prevent waste, take climate action, and engage employees on the path to sustainability.”

As its own nonprofit, Napa Green will be governed by a board of directors comprised of local environmental leaders, industry representatives and committed community members, the announcement stated.

Brittain, who contributed to the design of the Napa Green Winery program, has been involved in seeing it implemented since 2015. She is a graduate of Williams College and the Bren School of Environmental Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara.