Wine and vineyards often project an aura of "the good life", but such an association is not always warranted. Wholesale clearing of woodlands, cultivation of steep and erosion-prone hillsides, "recontouring" of the land, riparian destruction, and pesticide use are just some of the environmentally destructive practices sometimes employed in modern wine production.

This is not meant to be an indictment of all vineyards. On the contrary, some vineyard managers go to considerable lengths to farm in a more environmentally benign manner. Unfortunately, consumers are often insulated by distance from the vineyards that produce the wine and consequently unable to discriminate those wines produced by more responsible stewards from those produced less responsibly.

This page has been established in an effort to publicize some of the vineyard practices here in Sonoma County. Documentation of environmentally destructive vineyard practices (e.g., photographs) will be added as available.

In the interest of fairness, we will where possible provide contact information for the vineyard described, as well as a forum for the vineyard owner or manager to explain "their side" of the story.