Sustainable Practices. Beloved Varietals. Approachable Wines.

Sustainable Lands. For over 40 years, the Walters family has created a culture of sustainability and thoughtful stewardship, the core values of Paradise Ridge. Their commitment was recognized in 2016, when the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance officially certified the estate vineyards “sustainable” by their rigorous standards. After the tragic fires of 2017, steps were taken to restore the health of the estate, with a focus on biodiversity. The commitment to sustainability influences every decision we make, and we farm with future generations in mind.

Paradise Ridge Winery uses only natural pesticides or herbicides on the property, a practice that is at the core of creating an environment that is friendly to native species. By leaving the property as a wildlife corridor, we regularly see bobcats, coyotes, and raccoons, and on rare occasions the more elusive mountain lions and badgers. In the spring of 2018, sheep were re-introduced onto the property. The sheep allow for natural management of weeds and grasses, avoiding mechanization, which in turn nurtures the health of the soil. Sheep offer some of the best natural fertilizers possible. Grazing open space has the added benefit of mitigating the risk from fires. Many species of birds call Paradise home, including red-tailed hawks, cooper’s hawks, kestrels, and California quails. We also added owl boxes, which are used as homes for rescued baby barn owls.

As part of our goal to increase biodiversity, we partnered with a local Girl Scout troop to use native plants to restore the damage from the wildfires. The goal was to bring back the native bee population, an important player in a healthy environment. Native plants also provide nectar for other pollinators, including hummingbirds, butterflies, moths, and bats.

In our vineyards, we have taken biodiversity underground by introducing biochar (a nutrient-rich natural organic charcoal) to encourage as many microorganisms as possible. The highly porous charcoal helps soils retain nutrients and water. It also creates the equivalent of “luxury condos” for the underground bugs that help feed our vines. The addition of biochar makes it possible to hold carbon in the soil for hundreds and thousands of years.

One of the great fortunes of the Paradise Ridge property is that it is self-sufficient for water. The water is mindfully used, appreciating the scarcity of this natural resource. After the fires, the vineyard irrigation system was restructured to pinpoint specific zones, giving us the ability to water areas only as needed. This system saves hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per year.