Lake County Winery Wins Green Medal Award and Will Become One of the Largest 100% Certified Organic Mountain-Grown Vineyards in the United States
Lower Lake, Calif., December 20, 2021 — Nestled in the heart of Lake County, surrounded by sheep in the mountains just north of the Napa Valley, Shannon Family of Wines is setting the tone for sustainability in the region. The winery recently won the California Green Medal Environment Award and is continuing to incorporate new and familiar ways of minimizing their impact on the environment. These efforts and accomplishments have established Shannon Family of Wines as an industry leader in sustainability, we will be one of the largest 100% certified organic mountain-grown vineyards in the United States by July of 2022.
Since 1996, Shannon Family of Wines owners Clay and Angie Shannon have made sustainability a key facet of the winery’s mission with the inception of Project Ovis. The project, which is centered around the use of sheep on property year round, encompasses the transformation of the 1,000-acre Lake County California mountain vineyard estate into a completely sustainable, regenerative organic farming system. With the goal of protecting the future of their Lake County estate and the wine industry as a whole, the Shannons started Project Ovis to reimagine viticulture and winemaking to address and mitigate the effects of climate change.
“Our efforts are both holistic and dynamic, combining carbon sequestering practices with permaculture initiatives and energy efficiency applications,” shares winemaker and owner Clay Shannon. “We are pioneering change and setting industry standards in an ongoing effort to improve the way we treat the planet and its swiftly dwindling resources.”
The closed-loop agriculture initiative is a major undertaking and is only the beginning for Shannon Family of Wines’ effort to minimize their environmental impact. Additional efforts include the elimination of all herbicides and fossil fuels based fertilizers, the use of 100% renewable corks, the utilization of grape varieties that use less water and the use of 100% organic farming materials.
“The estate operates as a full ecosystem. From reserving 60% of our property for unplanted wildlife corridors to the sheep in the vineyards, Shannon Family of Wines is dedicated to preserving the environment,” shares winemaker Joy Merrilees. “The use of sheep is an ancient sustainability tactic that is now being revisited on our facility and as a result, the quality of our wines and our environment have benefited tremendously.”
The Shannon Family of Wines portfolio includes Buck Shack, Clay Shannon, Giannecchini, High Valley, OVIS, Shannon Ridge, Steele Wines, and Urgency. For more information on Shannon Family of Wines’ sustainability efforts, visit www.shanonfamilyofwines.com/sustainability and follow them on Facebook, and Instagram.
About Shannon Family of Wines
The Shannon family is committed to preserving their land, not only for the great vineyard sites but also for the bear, elk, mountain lions, eagles and other creatures which live there. Of their approximately 2,500 acres, only about 40% have been converted to vineyards. The balance of the land has been preserved for the wildlife which wanders through the property from the expansive wilderness areas adjoining the ranches. The vineyards were carefully planned out, leaving corridors open to migrating animals, protecting sensitive nesting areas, and will be 100% Certified Organically farmed this year.
