Sustainability From Vineyard to Bottle at Candia Cellars

Small choices matter. Especially when you make them with purpose.

At Candia Cellars, a boutique winery in Sonoma County, sustainability isn't something we added because it sounds good. It has naturally become part of our decisions, from sourcing grapes from sustainably farmed vineyards to choosing more thoughtful wine packaging.

From the vineyards where we source our grapes to the corks and glass bottles that hold our wines, we are becoming increasingly intentional about working with growers and suppliers who care about the land, their resources, and what we leave behind.

It fits naturally with the philosophy behind Candia Cellars: Built Slowly, With Purpose.

Sustainable Vineyards in Sonoma County and Lodi  

Great wine begins long before the grapes reach the winery. For our Sauvignon Blanc, we source fruit from Notre Vue Estate in Sonoma County's Chalk Hill AVA. Notre Vue's vineyards and winery have been certified sustainable since 2014. The estate includes 250 acres of vineyards alongside 350 acres permanently protected as its Forever Wild nature preserve. That relationship between vineyard and surrounding ecosystem is exactly the kind of thoughtful farming we value when choosing fruit for Candia Cellars.

Our Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Bavarian Lion Vineyard in Knights Valley, where the Ehret family has practiced sustainable viticulture for decades. Only about one-third of the 600-acre ranch is planted to vineyards, leaving more than half of the property as natural habitat for local wildlife. The ranch also uses solar energy in its farming operation.

In Lodi, where we source our Grenache Blanc and Petit Verdot, we continue to work with small growers and vineyards that reflect the hands-on approach we value. As Candia Cellars grows, sustainability will remain a key factor in how we build these relationships.

We also source fruit from Annadel Estate in Santa Rosa, whose owners have publicly expressed their commitment to building a sustainable and socially conscious winery.

Sustainable Wine Packaging: Glass and Natural Cork  

Once the grapes become wine, there are dozens of other decisions to make. One of them is packaging. Candia Cellars sources its glass bottles and cork closures from M.A. Silva, a Santa Rosa-based supplier with a strong commitment to sustainability.

M.A. Silva reports that its glass bottles use 48% recycled content, reducing the need for new raw materials without compromising the quality required for wine packaging. Our corks tell another interesting story.

Cork is a natural, renewable, and recyclable material harvested from cork oak trees without cutting down the tree. M.A. Silva reports that an independent study conducted by KPMG found its cork stoppers have a negative carbon footprint when accounting for the carbon captured by cork oak forests and the emissions associated with production. M.A. Silva USA was also the first California cork supplier to participate in the ClimateSmart program and receive Green Business certification.

For a small winery like ours, choosing suppliers with these practices matters.

Small Winery. Thoughtful Choices.

We are still growing, and we aren't going to pretend that every part of our operation is perfect. Sustainability is a journey.

For Candia Cellars, it means asking better questions. Where did our grapes come from? How was the vineyard farmed? Who made our bottles? What materials went into them? Where did our corks come from? Can we make a better choice next time? Sometimes the more sustainable choice begins with simply paying attention.

As we grow, our goal is to continue seeking vineyard partners and suppliers whose practices align with the kind of winery we want Candia Cellars to become.

A winery that respects where its fruit comes from.

A winery that thinks beyond what's inside the bottle.

And a winery that understands that even small choices can add up to something meaningful.

Candia Cellars

Built Slowly, With Purpose.

As a small, woman-owned winery in Sonoma County, we know our choices may be small compared with those of much larger producers. But that makes being intentional even more important. From the vineyards we work with to the materials we choose for each bottle, we're building Candia Cellars one thoughtful decision at a time.

Patricia Candia
Founder & Winemaker