Napa Green Achieves Historic Milestone – All Member Vineyards Successfully Phase Out Roundup

100% of Certified Growers Eliminate Glyphosate Use Across 6,000 Acres; Sets New Standard for Wine Industry Leadership

NAPA, CA, UNITED STATES, December 2, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Napa Green, a leading wine industry nonprofit providing certification and expert assistance for regenerative viticulture and sustainable winemaking, has achieved a groundbreaking milestone: all 56 member growers have successfully eliminated the use of Roundup and glyphosate-based products across 101 Napa Green Certified Vineyard properties totaling 6,000 acres—meeting the ambitious deadline set at the end of 2023.

Napa Green is the first industry organization to accomplish this as part of a comprehensive certification approach addressing soil health, water stewardship, climate action, and farmworker wellbeing. A leading region of Prosecco also banned use in 2019.

The 100% success rate—with not a single variance granted—demonstrates that transitioning away from glyphosate is both achievable and practical when growers receive proper support and technical expertise.

"This is a tangible achievement that matters to our community and consumers," says Anna Brittain, Executive Director of Napa Green. "We work with our growers to implement systemic beneficial practices from soil to water to people, and Roundup poses a risk to all three. Napa Green members are showing what is possible. We hope it will resonate with growers worldwide."

The successful phaseout addresses growing consumer and scientific concerns about glyphosate's impacts on soil biology, ecosystem and human health—issues that resonate far beyond Napa Valley.

"Well done, Napa Green!" say Jancis Robinson and Sam Cole-Johnson, Editor-in-Chief and Senior Editor of JancisRobinson.com. "We now know so much more about how the vitality of the soil influences the vitality of wine. Bravo to all those Napa vintners who are choosing crucial soil health over casual convenience."

Expert Guidance Drives Success

To support the phaseout the Napa Green team, and specifically Vineyard Program Manager Ben Mackie, developed comprehensive support systems including a Weed Management Toolkit, training workshops, and one-on-one assistance to help growers implement alternative practices tailored to their specific vineyard conditions.

In 2024, Napa Green provided matching grants to St. Supéry Estate, Chimney Rock, Paul Hobbs, and Corison Winery to acquire new mowing equipment and conduct sheep grazing trials, demonstrating alternatives to herbicide use while making uptake more economically accessible.

The Toolkit includes by-the-numbers case studies, as growers often express concerns about increased labor costs with the elimination of synthetic herbicides. Grgich Hills worked with their accounting firm to do updated financial analysis, and found that in 2024 the average cost of farming in Napa County—based on data from 140 operations—was $18,000 per acre, while Grgich’s farming costs were $11,500. Grgich attributes this both to their regenerative practices creating more self-regulating, healthy vineyards, and lower farming costs via their dedicated farming team.

Napa Leaders Celebrate Achievement

Cathy Corison, acclaimed winemaker and Napa Green champion member, just finished her 30th harvest as an organic grower. “For decades, we've been able to efficiently and cost-effectively control weeds mechanically at Kronos Vineyard,” notes Corison. “It is gratifying to see more and more Napa growers making this transition. I applaud Napa Green for this year's achievement, and for making the phaseout of herbicides core to their holistic certification. Together we can generate soils that are wildly alive.”

Continuous Improvement: The Next Chapter

True to Napa Green's foundational principle that "sustainability is a path, not a destination," this milestone marks the transition to their next ambitious goal – working with members to phase out all synthetic herbicides by the end of 2027.

“The pivot away from herbicides is essential for the health of the farmworkers, the soil, and the vines,” says Mackie. “This is an important step on the journey to continue regenerating the wine industry, connecting with modern consumers, and enhancing the communities and ecosystems in which we farm.”

As Napa Green members continue leveling up their leadership, they are demonstrating that high-quality viticulture and agroecosystem stewardship go hand in hand.

A Model for the Global Wine Industry

Napa Green's achievement offers a replicable roadmap for wine regions worldwide. By combining rigorous certification standards with practical support, technical expertise, and financial assistance, the organization has proven that ambitious sustainable and regenerative winegrowing goals can be met industry-wide.

With this historic achievement, Napa Green's member growers are setting a new standard for what sustainable winegrowing means in practice. Napa Green is committed to sharing the knowledge gained through this transition. Wine regions and growers interested in pursuing similar goals are encouraged to reach out. Together, we can build a more regenerative future for winegrowing worldwide.

About Napa Green
The Napa Green nonprofit offers leading certification and below-cost expert support to growers & vintners in cultivating the most regenerative, resilient farming systems producing the highest quality grapes, and the most efficient, leading winery operations with the lowest possible carbon footprint. Together, the core team has over 100 years of collective experience in environmental & climate science, regenerative agriculture, engineering, winemaking, maximizing resource efficiency, communications and storytelling. They focus on generating cost savings and near-term ROIs. Napa Green is tireless in its pursuit to set the highest standard for sustainability in the wine industry, and, critically, provide the on-the-ground support to turn roadmaps to reality.

Anna Brittain
Napa Green
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