Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) has become the first North American wine trade association to join the effort of the Porto Protocol. Established by Adrian Bridge of Taylor’s Port, the Porto Protocol is an international initiative to encourage commitments from the global wine industry to improve sustainability efforts.
“The protocol started in 2018 based on the premise that the effects of climate change can be diminished if all of us – if everybody – plays their part in trying to improve upon the situation,” said NVV Senior Director of Industry Relations, Rex Stults. “To participate in the Porto Protocol means that you’ve signed a Letter of Principles which includes a commitment to do more than you’re doing at the moment and guide their activity by good environmental practice principals and execute projects oriented towards sustainability.”
The initiative was formally launched at the inaugural Climate Change Leadership Summit back in July of 2018 and now includes the involvement of nearly 150 industry groups and businesses. The NVV Board of Directors made the decision to become signatories at its meeting on June 27.
“I am delighted that the NVV has joined the Porto Protocol as it is an organization that has always taken a far-sighted view of environmental matters,” Bridge said in a press release. “Members of the NVV have much to share with fellow vintners around the world and I look forward to their experiences helping to accelerate the speed with which the global wine industry combats climate change issues.”
Committing to the principals laid forth in the initiative is one of the many steps NVV has taken towards mitigating climate challenges and improving sustainability efforts. Stults highlighted their involvement in the Napa Green sustainability certification program, as well as working with the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in analyzing historical Napa Valley climate data. “This isn’t new ground or new territory for us but moreover it’s a continuation of a commitment to taking care of the land here in the Valley,” Stults noted.
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