We are excited to announce that our innovative barrel wash water recycling unit at our Kendall-Jackson Monterey Winery was awarded Project of the Year by the Environmental Leader, a renowned daily trade publication focused on energy, environmental, and sustainability news. In its third year, the Environmental Leader Product & Project Awards received more submissions this year than ever before. So, it is an honor to have been recognized for our water saving efforts that used an innovative barrel wash water recycling unit developed by our winemaking team in Monterey in conjunction with the Tom Beard Company.

Ivan Giotenov, Winemaking Director for Kendall-Jackson, recounts the technological innovation in our Kendall-Jackson Monterey Winery. “We started experimenting with a partial recycle (only 1/3 water recycling system) back in 2008. After two consecutive years of testing, it was clear that it worked, and in 2011 we retrofitted the washing system of the barrel line to its final configuration.”

How exactly does this system impact our water use? According to Ivan, the barrel line now uses 67% less water than what is required for conventional barrel washing, and the same reductions apply to the embodied energy savings required to heat water for barrel washing. This project is one amongst many Jackson Family Wines projects distinguished by both the wine industry and environmental thought leaders in other industries. Moreover, as drought continues in California, this award is a huge win for Jackson Family Wines as it demonstrates our leadership in environmental responsibility and technological innovation.

Starting in 2015, Jackson Family Wines is making a major commitment to water conservation by setting a goal to reduce water use by 33% over the next 5 years. Each of our wineries have begun developing or formalizing water conservation teams and setting yearly goals to reduce their overall water use. This is truly an unprecedented team effort that will spur water reductions, best management practices, and innovation amongst our winery teams across the Jackson Family Wines portfolio. This recent award is yet another a reminder that our production teams have accomplished great achievements in regards to resource conservation thus far, and serves as a powerful motivation to push our efforts even further.

-Sabrina Sihakom, Sustainability Coordinator