(ST. HELENA, CALIFORNIA – December 28, 2017) – The California Wine Institute unanimously elected Vintner Kathryn Hall to the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) Board of Directors effective December 2017. The CSWA Board of Directors is made up of winegrowers representing both vineyards and wineries. CSWA is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 2003 by The Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers to develop and promote sustainable practices, tools for education and outreach, partnerships with key stakeholders, and prioritizing research.
“Electing Mrs. Hall to the Board of Directors brings even more talent, expertise and energy to our Board of Directors” says Allison Jordan, Executive Director of CSWA. “With over 2,000 California winegrape growers and winemakers participating in the CSWA program, California has one of the most widely adopted sustainable winegrowing programs in the world in terms of wine acreage and case production. Mrs. Hall and her HALL & WALT wineries are part of this vibrant movement, including being Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing.”
HALL and WALT luxury wine brands, owned by Kathryn Hall and husband Craig Hall, include 500 planted acres in Napa County, Sonoma County, Santa Barbara County and Mendocino County. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir producers have earned numerous certifications and accolades – 11 HALL vineyards are certified Sustainable by the CSWA, and five of the HALL estate vineyards are certified organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). Additionally, each of WALT’s three estate vineyards are certified sustainable by the CSWA. The CSWA and CCOF certifications have rigorous requirements and standards related to irrigation to eco-friendly farming techniques.
“I am thrilled to be elected to the CSWA Board of Directors and to participate in ways to support sustainable farming practices for our industry,” says Vintner Kathryn Hall. “These practices are a central focus for us at HALL and WALT as well as a personal commitment for me. They are also key to the long term viability of our industry. I admire the leadership of the CSWA in the area of sustainable farming and look forward to being a member of the board.”
Hall has been coined as a model for community action by pioneering green decisions and most recently was a featured speaker at Vinexpo Bordeaux to discuss achievements in sustainability. The panel of esteemed experts and global influencers who discussed critical issues facing the wine industry, specifically climate change. Hall served as the United States Ambassador to Austria from 1997-2001.
“We are delighted to have Mrs. Hall join our CSWA Board of Directors” says Steve Lohr, Board Chairman of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, and CEO of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines. “Kathryn and her team have shown their commitment to sustainability by becoming a certified participant in the CSWA program with all of their estate vineyards, and by building California’s first LEED Gold certified winery. We look forward to bringing Kathryn and her enthusiasm for sustainability to a Board that is passionate about sharing best sustainable business practices with vineyards and wineries throughout California.”
For more information, please visit www.hallwines.com and www.waltwines.com.
ABOUT CSWA: California Sustainable Winegrowing SWA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization incorporated in 2003 by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers to develop and promote sustainable practices, tools for education and outreach, partnerships with key stakeholders, and prioritizing research. Wineries and vineyards throughout the state have to apply to earn Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing status verified by a third-party auditor through CSWA. Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing and other statewide and regional programs such as Bay Area Green Business Program, Fish Friendly Farming, Lodi Rules, Napa Green and Sustainability in Practice (SIP) play vital roles in the California wine community’s successful efforts to produce high quality wine that is environmentally sound, economically feasible and socially responsible. More than 2,000 wineries and vineyards in the state participate in the CSWA program.
ABOUT HALL: HALL produces critically acclaimed artisan Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, available to taste and buy at two properties in Napa Valley as well as at hallwines.com. Owned by Craig and Kathryn Hall, its vineyard collection features seven estate vineyards, of which five are California Certified Organic (CCOF). Each vintage, Vice President of Winemaking Steve Leveque crafts distinct Cabernet Sauvignon wines which demonstrate the unique characteristics and diversity of Napa Valley terroir. HALL’s wine portfolio includes three 100 point scores given by critic Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, for its 2013 Rainin Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, its 2013 Exzellenz Red Wine and its 2010 Exzellenz Red Wine. HALL also earned the #2 spot in Wine Spectator’s “Top 100” for its 2008 Kathryn Hall Cabernet Sauvignon. Since the first vintage in 2002, over 75 HALL wines have earned 95 point scores and above, and over 250 wines have earned 90 point scores and above from the industries top critics. The HALL St. Helena winery was the first LEED® Gold Certified Winery in the State of California in 2009 and earned another LEED® Gold certification for its high tech production facility and Tasting Room in 2014, making HALL a leader in green efficiencies. For more information about HALL, please visit www.hallwines.com, @hallwines, or by calling 707.967.2626.
ABOUT WALT: WALT specializes in premier, vineyard designate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the most coveted vineyards along the Pacific Coast, spanning 1,000 miles from as far north as the Willamette Valley to the Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County. WALT represents wines of a place – these special sites where thoughtful viticulture enables winemakers to create expressive wines that reflect the signature personality of each site. WALT farms three estate vineyards and partners with meticulous growers who aspire to share standards of quality. Owned by Kathryn Walt Hall and her husband Craig, the winery honors Kathryn’s parents, Bob and Dolores Walt, who were grape growers in Mendocino County since 1972 and nurtured Kathryn’s passion for vineyards and wine. The WALT Sonoma Square Tasting Room opened in 2012 and is located in Sonoma, CA and is open to the public. For more information, please visit www.waltwines.com or by calling (707) 933-4440.
