Laura Barrett of Clif Family Winery
Tell us about the sustainable and eco-friendly practices at the vineyard: Clif Family Winery & Farm is dedicated to managing our business in a way that mitigates the impacts of climate change and builds resiliency for future impacts. This starts with thinking like a tree. Trees run on renewable energy, recycle all waste, and sustain and improve the places they grow.
Our environmental goals and commitments are aligned around four key areas: organic food and farming; sustainable production; zero waste; and conserving and restoring our natural resources.
In the words of our co-owner Kit Crawford, “We’re working to run a different kind of company: The kind of place we’d want to work, that makes the kind of food we’d like to eat, and that strives for a healthier, more sustainable world – the kind of world we’d like to pass on to our children.”
Tell us about the varietals you make: Clif Family Winery has 90 acres of Estate Vineyard in the Howell Mountain and Oak Knoll Districts of Napa Valley. On Howell Mountain, we farm 10 acres of California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) certified Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel. Down on the valley floor, we farm 80 acres of organic grapes across 10 varietals – Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and the five Bordeaux varietals. We strive to make food friendly and varietally characteristic wines that represent each of their AVA’s.
What are a few wines that readers should try right now?
2021 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc
2019 Kit’s Killer Cab – Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon