Peju Winery Certified As A Napa County Green Winery And Bay Area Green Business

April 29, 2009 - PRLog -- Rutherford, Calif. – Peju Winery announced that is has officially earned certification from Napa County’s Department of Environmental Management as a Napa County Green Winery and Bay Area Green Business after achieving all standards in pollution prevention, conservation of resources and environmental compliance. To date, Peju joins approximately 13 other Napa Valley wineries to receive official Green Winery Certification through Napa County.

For the past year, Peju has identified and taken significant steps in the winery’s daily operations to conserve energy, reduce pollution, waste and water use. A few of these initiatives include:

• Tracking water and energy usage and implementing company policies to decrease generation in both the administrative and cellar facilities
• Recycling a broad variety of office items, including paper, plastic, bottles, cans, cardboard, batteries, light bulbs, toner cartridges, office equipment and pomace in the vineyard
• Utilizing energy-efficient T-8 light bulbs and maximizing natural light as much as possible
• Using green cleaning products, disinfectants and recycled paper products throughout the winery
• Converting to biodegradable shipping and packaging materials
• Utilizing a compost pile for kitchen food waste
• Implementing employee policies to shut down computers, printers, fax machines and lights when not in use as well as moving in the direction of paperless correspondence
• Offering customers retail items made from recycled materials
• Encouraging carpooling and single-errand trips
• Purchasing new office and kitchen equipment with Energy-Star and energy-efficient functions
• Offering employees a $2,000 cash incentive for purchasing hybrid vehicles

With the support from Peju owners Tony, Herta, Lisa and Ariana Peju, the company has set collective goals for both the present and future to sustain its indoor work and outdoor environments through not only green business practices, but also through the winery’s use of solar power and organic vineyard practices.

“We’ve been concerned about making our business more efficient and earth-friendly for some time and wanted to create a company culture where we educate employees and customers about resource conservation and then translate our words into actions,” Ariana Peju said about spearheading the winery’s green efforts. “It’s the right thing to do, and we’ll continue as a company to come up with new ideas on how to be environmentally-conscious in our day-to-day activities.”

The Napa County Green Winery re-certification process takes place every three years, at which time wineries must show continued progress in their already established green procedures and additional measures that they’ve taken to become more proactive.

About Peju Winery:
Established in 1982, Peju Winery is a family-owned and operated boutique winery located in Napa Valley’s Rutherford Appellation. Peju’s organically farmed Rutherford Estate Vineyard is home to 30 acres planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Peju also produces wines from its sustainably farmed Napa Valley Persephone and Wappo Vineyards. Visitors are welcomed into a magnificent 50-foot tasting room tower to sample Peju’s award-winning wines, including its flagship H.B. Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Provence, a proprietary blend of red and white varietals. Peju visitors can also enjoy pristine gardens, art exhibits, an extensive gift shop, three wine clubs and an on-premise kitchen that hosts a variety of events and classes. Peju’s tasting room is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is located at 8466 St. Helena Hwy, Rutherford, Napa Valley, CA. For more information, visit www.peju.com or call 800-446-7358.

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Established in 1982, Peju Province Winery is a family-owned boutique winery located in the heart of the Napa Valley. Visitors can enjoy organically and sustainably grown estate wines, gardens, art and wine and food events. Open daily 10-6.