Sustainable Practices

Here at Yamhill Valley Vineyards, we value the health of our ecosystem and Earth.  We are water protectors, we understand and respect our waterways, we amend and develop our farming practices to be in alignment with our greater mission of being on the right side of history when it comes to environmental sustainability.  We are grateful to have planted our vineyard back in 1983, this means that our vines are well established and makes them receptive to dry farming, something we have been practicing since 2019.  Because we don’t irrigate, we save thousands of gallons of water each growing season.  This is not only in line with our values, but it also encourages resiliency and adaptation in our vines, lending to better quality fruit and wine. 

After learning that we could effectively reduce erosion and run off from our site, we adopted the no-till approach to our farming.  Conventional farming loses about 1.54mm of soil per year, whereas in no-till farming that number is brought down to 0.08mm of soil loss per year.  No-till farming also encourages the interconnected fungal systems underground to establish and thrive.  These systems, referred to as mycorrhizae, aid the vine through a symbiotic relationship that feeds the fungi as it aids the vine in regulating water and mineral nutrient bioavailability and uptake.  The result is a happy, healthy, and resilient ecosystem here on our 150 acres and beyond.

We do not carry certifications, but in many cases our practices exceed that of certified organic, Salmon Safe, and LIVE.  We abhor systemic herbicides that can ravage soils of their biodiversity, pollute water ways, and contribute to broken and unhealthy food systems.  We understand that a healthy soil is one that is alive, teeming with activity and biodiversity that acts to galvanize and protect the immune systems and overall health of our vines.

Socially we converse with and educate our customers about these issues, as well as the ways that climate change is affecting our opportunities and future.  We love to start the conversation and spread the good word of actionable hope for our future generations. Since 2019 we have been partnering with Willamette Riverkeeper to do our part in raising funds and awareness to support excellent water quality, and an abundant natural habitat surrounding our beloved Willamette River.

Economically we vote with our dollars by selecting packaging that is locally produced.  This choice effectively reduced CO2 emissions due to proximity, but also reduced the emissions associated with distributing our product because of the line of glass that we bottle into, called Eco-Glass™.  Eco-Glass™ is an innovative, lightweight wine bottle that was designed with one thing in mind: sustaining our environment. It is made with 25% less glass than your average wine bottle and because it weighs significantly less, it also requires much less fuel to transport and produces less carbon dioxide. 

Join us by voting with your dollars while at the same time enjoying beautifully grown and made wines that you can feel good about.  Let’s raise a glass to redefining economic sustainability to include the truest form of it - ecological sustainability. 

Cheers!