Napa’s first zero-emission vineyard faces heavy opposition.

“…environmental experts say Le Colline could set a precedent in Wine Country, inspiring future vineyard developments to follow its lead, taking a  net-zero pledge to strengthen their case for approval. “

Read the article on SFChronicle.com

Full Article:

After a nine-year proposal process, Napa County has tentatively approved the development of what’s believed to be the region’s first zero-emission vineyard. But despite this unprecedented environmental commitment, the development is facing intense opposition from locals — and now faces a lengthy appeals process.

Le Colline Vineyard in Angwin, set on narrow Cold Springs Road in Napa’s eastern hills, is the latest front in an increasingly contentious debate over the region’s future in the face of climate change. The wine industry, the driving force of Napa Valley’s economy, wants to continue to grow. But locals fear that further vineyard and winery development is a threat to wildlife, watersheds and surrounding communities. 

The environmental nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity has submitted a letter of intent to appeal the county’s tentative approval. But several other environmental experts say Le Colline could set a precedent in Wine Country, inspiring future vineyard developments to follow its lead, taking a  net-zero pledge to strengthen their case for approval. 

The outcry against Le Colline isn’t surprising. Walt Ranch, Napa Valley’s most controversial land-use debate to date, was approved in 2022 following a 17-year battle. In an unexpected turn of events, the owners then sold the property to the Land Trust of Napa County a few months later. At the end of last year, the Napa County Board of Supervisors revoked a previously approved permit for a large winery in Napa’s Atlas Peak region following nine years of protests. 

But in some ways, Le Colline is different. The owners have volunteered to operate at net-zero emissions: the process of minimizing human-produced gas emissions, like tractor work, and incorporating additional emission reduction efforts, like reforestation. They also argue that they’re taking actions to lower the risk of fire danger for the surrounding community of Angwin. 

Blue and pink tags mark a perimeter of a proposed vineyard in Napa's eastern hills, which is facing opposition from locals and environmental groups. 

The continued resistance from residents and environmental groups, though, sends a message to future vineyard developers: Likely no proposal will go through Napa County quietly and without a fight. 

The Le Colline proposal has been revised several times over the years. The vineyard size, roughly 21 acres, is now 19% smaller than the original proposal, reducing the number of trees that will need to be cut down. Other measures include working with the city of Napa to monitor impacts on the water quality in nearby Conn Creek. 

“I think most of the concerns have been taken care of and addressed,” said Peter Bontadelli, a project director at Montrose Environmental, an environmental consultancy, who worked on Le Colline’s environmental impact report. Bontadelli is also the former director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

But the Center for Biological Diversity, which was a major opponent of Walt Ranch, doesn’t think it’s enough. The environmental nonprofit’s appeal will further pause Le Colline’s development; in past comments made to Napa County, the Center for Biological Diversity has requested further analysis and mitigation regarding several areas of the Le Colline proposal, including wildfire risk, greenhouse gas emissions, and the removal of oaks and shrublands.  

“These remote areas, we don’t really think they’re appropriate for a vineyard,” said Aruna Prabhala, a senior attorney with the center. “When these projects are approved, that’s sort of it, there’s nothing left for the community or county to do. So we really need to seize these opportunities to make sure everything that can be done is done.”

In order to achieve net-zero emissions, Le Colline owner Dave DiCesaris plans to use only electric tractors for farming and electric vans to bring workers to the remote site; to retain a majority of trees on the property and plant hundreds more; and to refrain from tilling the vineyard, which can release carbon into the atmosphere. 

Net-zero vineyards may be the way of the future, said Charlotte Hey, executive director of the International Wineries for Climate Action, a membership group for wineries committed to going net zero by 2050. Recent advancements in technology and research have made it a relatively easy feat to achieve, though it does require additional cost. 

Jose Chavez, with Barbour Vineyards, cuts up storm damage and fallen trees at the proposed Le Colline Vineyard. Until the project is approved, the owners won't be able to bring in equipment for the extensive fire mitigation they've planned. 

“More and more people are using sheep to graze and using cows and horses to plow,” said Hey. “Electric tractors are coming in and scientists are working on carbon capture in the vineyard.”

Yet opponents don’t seem to be buying in. Overall, traditional vineyards already have minimal impact when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, said Hey. The wine industry’s most critical greenhouse gas issue, she said, is its supply chain, which involves global shipping and the heavy use of glass for packaging.

Wildfire risk is a major concern in Angwin, which has had several close calls with blazes in recent years. But Le Colline owner DiCesaris contends that planting a vineyard in an area that’s historically lucrative for grape growers and winery owners means he can afford the cost of the extensive forest management he has planned on the property. 

Peter Lecourt, an Angwin resident and forest manager, said that while he is opposed to any development in forested areas, he “commends (the owners) for taking an active role in managing their forest.” 

“More vintners need to adopt that model,” he said. 

DiCesaris hopes the vineyard will act as a firebreak and says he’s invested in a system that creates new access points for first responders. Because Le Colline is near a creek — a path that fires can move rapidly through  — this is especially important, he noted.

He’s anxious to get started on this fire-mitigation work ahead of the 2023 fire season, but the appeals process will further delay his ability to bring in the necessary equipment. DiCesaris estimates that there is “over 100 tons” of fire fuel, like grasses and downed trees that increase the fire risk, currently sitting on the property’s grounds. But until the project goes through, he says, he can’t do anything about it.

Napa County’s Board of Supervisors has up to 90 days to hear an appeal once it’s submitted, after which the supervisors could approve the project as is, change their decision and reject it or request more revisions. Dunn said locals are prepared to continue their fight; they’re already gearing up to contest another proposal on Cold Springs Road: a winery for Aloft, a wine brand from the Charles Krug branch of the Mondavi family.

“It’s tricky. I don’t envy the decision makers,” said Thomas Adams, a California Environmental Quality Act attorney, who consulted on the Le Colline proposal. In my experience, no matter what you do, the opponents find some reason to want more. It’s never enough.”

Previous
Previous

Net-Zero Vineyard Operation Is a First for Napa Valley

Next
Next

Napa grants tentative approval to Le Colline vineyard