Sustainable Winemaking in Brewster: Our Commitment to the Environment
Climate change is undoubtedly impacting the wine industry. Rising temperatures, changing carbon dioxide levels, and excessive droughts are making it difficult to grow wine grapes. Some wine regions are at risk of disappearing entirely! Therefore, it’s more important than ever for wineries to integrate sustainable winemaking practices to ensure wine lovers everywhere can continue enjoying their favorite bottles for years. Our sustainable Brewster winery is among those working for change.
Does Wine Production Impact the Environment?
Climate change affects wine production…but is wine production affecting climate change? The honest answer: is yes. Traditional vineyards are intensively managed, which includes the regular use of pesticides. Though these pesticides help control pests that damage grape crops, they do more harm than good. They pollute water and soil, adversely impact soil health, and alter biodiversity. Grape cultivation also requires a substantial amount of water. This strains water resources in arid growing regions.
The Future is Sustainable Winemaking
The carbon footprint of winemaking is vast throughout every stage, from planting and growing the grapes to disposal. So, what’s the solution? Investing in sustainable winery practices! It is possible to reduce our industry’s large carbon footprint without sacrificing your wines' quality or remarkable palate. More thoughtful practices will reduce wine’s carbon footprint, promote biodiversity, and ensure regularly high yields. Plus, meticulous care with crops can produce higher-quality wines. This benefits the wine industry, individual wineries, and wine lovers like you!
A Commitment to Sustainability
Lone Point Cellars is committed to sustainable winemaking, and this commitment is best expressed through our practices. We’ve used integrated pest management since the 1970s, an environmentally sensitive approach that eliminates the use of pesticides in our wine production. Instead, we use beneficial insects to control pests that would typically damage our crops. It’s a symbiotic relationship.
We aim to create a balance with nature. This goes beyond our pest management practices. We also monitor soil and leaf nutrient levels to reduce soil amendments needed for plant health. Soil moisture levels are monitored hourly! Just this small change allows us to:
Reduce our water usage
Help retain soil nutrients
Increase root development
Increase our grape quality
Cover Crops & Soil Health
Our vineyard also utilizes cover crops for more sustainable winemaking. These crops are planted to cover soil rather than to be harvested. They carry many benefits, which include:
Improved soil health
Increased soil fertility
Reduced soil erosion caused by wind and rain
Improved pest control and management
Increased biodiversity
Potential yield increase
Our cover crops have helped us reduce tillage. This is huge because excessive tilling breaks apart soil structure and can cause massive soil. It also releases carbon stored in the soil as CO2, which increases carbon emissions. This reduction has consequently increased soil microorganisms and created healthier, more balanced soil at our vineyard.
What Can You Do?
You can support a more eco-conscious wine industry, too! The best – and easiest – way to do so is by buying wine from a sustainable winery. Many wineries, including Lone Point Cellars, share their sustainable winemaking practices on their websites. Familiarize yourself with these practices and plan a winery visit to learn first-hand about the production behind the wine you’re tasting.
Another great way to help is to recycle your glass wine bottles. This can help eliminate excess waste in landfills and lower emissions. You could also upcycle your bottles and wine corks. Natural (non-plastic) corks are biodegradable! Place them in your compost or at the bottom of planters to promote drainage and help your plants grow.
Sustainability Beyond the Vineyard
Sustainable winemaking is a small part of our commitment to the environment at Lone Point Cellars. We’ve invested in estate-wide eco-conscious practices to nurture our land and the environment. We’re a winery, restaurant, and resort. We understand that all these establishments can take their toll on the environment. Winemaking pollutes soil and causes tremendous carbon emissions. Traditional hotels and lodgings generate excessive water usage, high energy consumption from lighting and appliances, and more.
Our profound awareness of these environmental impacts has led us to make actionable changes within our family-owned business, not just with more sustainable winemaking. We use LED low-wattage lighting, provide four J-1772 EV charging stations for electric vehicles (free of charge to guests), and utilize 36 solar panels to supplement our energy consumption.
What makes our sustainable winery’s practices so substantial? Most U.S. electricity is generated at power plants, which burn fossil fuels to generate electricity. These plants emit enormous greenhouse gases and air pollutants that contribute to climate change. Other facets of energy production can pollute waterways, soil, and land and affect plants and natural ecosystems. By using alternative and supplementary energy sources, like solar panels and low-wattage lighting, we’re doing our part to help reduce the negative environmental impacts.
From Sustainable Winemaking to Eco-Friendly Construction
Sustainability is at the foundation of Lone Point Cellars – literally. Our buildings are positioned with southern exposures to improve energy efficiency. This orientation helps maximize natural sunlight and reduce the need for artificial heating, which lowers our energy consumption. Our environmentally friendly construction also includes:
R-40 roofing to reduce our reliance on heating and cooling systems
Low-E glass prevents heat loss in the winter, blocks summer heat, and improves energy efficiency
Propane-powered water heaters for higher energy efficiency and a lower carbon footprint
An Eco-Conscious Winery & Vineyard
We know that customers are seeking more sustainable wineries. We also know that many wineries simply talk about sustainability. But we’ve put words to action at Lone Point Cellars. We work with nature – not against it – for sustainable winemaking, lodging, and practices throughout our Brewster estate. And we’ve done so without sacrificing the quality you expect from us. Plan your getaway to Lone Point Cellars for an all-in-one experience!