We are always looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint, so this year, we tried something new: we chipped the vines when removing a block of vineyard instead of burning them. The idea is simple: by chipping and incorporating the material back into the soil, we sequester the carbon in the ground instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. We’re hoping it’ll have long-term benefits for the vineyard and for the climate.
We’ve been doing some things in the vineyard that I’m very excited about in our continuing efforts to reduce our carbon footprint. Our biggest investment is an all-electric tractor made by Monarch. The first job for the Monarch was one that I was not anticipating. We converted a block of cordon pruned vines to cane pruned and needed power in the vineyard, so the electric tractor acted as a generator.
We received our Climate Adaptation Certification from the California Land Stewardship Institute. The result is a comprehensive plan specific to Hafner Vineyard that demonstrates how to look at various ways we can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, sequester carbon and promote climate resilience. An exciting result from the report is that we are already carbon negative, sequestering more CO2e than we emit thanks to leaving oak woodlands untouched, vineyard practices of seeding a cover crop, sourcing local and renewable clean energy and more.
We recently had our annual Vertical Tasting of main and Reserve Chardonnays where we tasted eight vintages of each to see how they are aging. We were pleased with both flights. In this video, I share a few thoughts on the two tastings and explain how our Chardonnays age. Our goal is to make wines that age well and pair well with food. We look forward to hearing your thoughts on vintages you have in your cellar.
My grandmother, Mary Hafner, was the chef in the family. She and her sister taught French cooking classes from their kitchens in Berkeley (which is even how some of our patrons first learned about Hafner wine). She taught her children how to cook as well, so my sister and I benefited (and still benefit!) from Dad and Uncle Scott’s cooking. At home, when we prepare a meal, we are often thinking about which wine will pair with the meal. Here we share a few favorite cookbooks for meals that pair well with wine.
