At Markham Vineyards, sustainable farming and sustainable winemaking are part of our ongoing journey. “When it comes to growing grapes and making wine with the environment in mind, our work is never done,” says Markham Safety & Sustainability Manager Sara Lanning. “Whether it’s reducing chemical, water, or energy use or working to better our community, there is always more to do. It starts with a commitment to do the right thing. From there you establish data that provides you with trends and baselines from year to year so that you can see what’s working, and where you can improve.”

Embodying our commitment to the environment and to the Napa Valley community that has been our home for almost half a century, our four estate vineyards and winery were certified Napa Green from 2013 to 2022, and have been Certified California Sustainable through the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance since 2022. This rigorous certification, which includes annual third-party audits, requires adhering to 60 vineyard and 41 winery prerequisites and more than 200 best practices while tracking all key metrics. “One of the things that drew us to the California Sustainable certification was the requirement that we show continuous improvement,” says Sara. “With this in mind, Markham has established ambitious goals, including recycling 80% of our water by 2030, reducing water usage by 50% by 2035, and being carbon neutral by 2040.”

For our Markham team, these goals represent the next logical step to building on the many new practices and initiatives we have already adopted in recent years, including:

• Herbicide free in our four Napa Valley estate vineyards since 2020
• Achieving CCOF organic certification for our Hopper House Vineyard in 2023
• Most vineyard blocks are no-till (only the youngest blocks are tilled), which benefits soil health, reduces erosion and increases water holding
• Utilizing cover crops in all of our vineyards
• Employing sheep for rotational grazing (instead of farm equipment)
• Producing our own Biochar, which we mix with compost and use in our vineyards for water retention and soil health
• Partnering with Marin Clean Energy to purchase renewable power for all of our energy needs
• Reducing energy usage by 8% between 2023 and 2024
• Reclaiming and collecting all winery wastewater in ponds for irrigation
• Reducing our water usage by 20% between 2023 and 2024

In addition to farming our Hopper House Vineyard organically, our Viticulturist Taylor Abudi has also begun trialing several regenerative farming techniques at the site. “After Organic certification, Regenerative Organic is the next step and will play an important role in reducing our greenhouse gas emissions,” says Taylor. “While sustainability is important, we want to do more than just sustain our vineyards, we want to make them better, healthier, and more productive for generations to come. That’s the view regenerative farming takes.”

From our certified sustainable winery and vineyards to our organic farming at the Hopper House Vineyard, our commitment to the environment runs deep. So does our dedication to the Napa Valley community, which is why we launched the Altruist Awards in late 2024. Honoring local heroes who selflessly devote themselves to the betterment of the Napa Valley community, the Altruist Awards take inspiration from the name of our acclaimed The Altruist red Bordeaux blend. The awards acknowledge and amplify the important work of altruists who are helping to preserve the heart, heritage and future of the Napa Valley community. Evaluated on their leadership, generosity and selflessness, and their history of inspiring others, the recipients of our first-annual 2024 Altruist Awards were Mary Stephenson, one of the founders and emeritus board member of Our Town St. Helena, and Coach Bailie, who works to support the mental health and well-being of Napa’s LGBTQ+ community as the director of training for LGBTQ Connection. In addition to celebrating the work of these remarkable individuals, the Altruist Awards provided $1,000 donations to each honoree’s organizations on their behalf.

As a women-led winery, our belief in equality and inclusivity continues to be a defining value for our winery. With an all-female winemaking team, we are active in supporting several organizations that provide opportunities and mentorship for women in the wine and hospitality industries, including Women of the Vine & Spirits, Bâtonnage, and MAPP (Mentorship, Advocacy, Purpose, and the Power of Women). We also believe in treating our employees fairly and providing them with opportunities to succeed and excel. This includes extensive governance to ensure pay equity, with supportive flexible work policies, and paid parental leave, as well as a generous benefits package that ensures our employees can be the best they can be and have a great time doing it.