| ?I?ve always been influenced by the idea of Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, which was the inspiration for ultimately all modern amusements parks. I remember the beautiful theater pavilions with the curtains painted with peacock feathers that had little ballet performances. At Tivoli, there were rides, but more important than the rides were the cafes and the refreshments, and just the sense of being in a children?s garden, a ?pleasure garden? for all people to enjoy - which perhaps is the best phrase to describe what we?re creating here. This vision was replicated at places on Coney Island, like Luna Park, and George C. Tilyou?s Steeplechase Park, or Palisades Park. These were basically wonderlands, and I thought Francis Ford Coppola Winery could become such a park for the family to go and enjoy, where there are things for kids to do, so they can be close to their parents who are sampling wines and foods. I?ve often felt that modern life tends to separate all the ages too much. In the old days, the children lived with the parents and the grandparents, and the family unit each gave one another something very valuable. So when we began to develop the idea for this winery, we thought it should be like a resort, basically a wine wonderland, a park of pleasure where people of all ages can enjoy the best things in life - food, wine, music, dancing, games, swimming and performances of all types. A place to celebrate the love of life. ? - Francis Ford Coppola For more than thirty years, we have been committed to environmentally responsible business practices. It?s been our goal to minimize our impact on the environment by seeking out innovative ways to produce and package our goods. At Francis Ford Coppola Winery, all 24 planted acres are sustainably farmed and part of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Program. We try to purchase fruit from growers who farm sustainably, and some of the vineyards we source from are certified organic as well. Another benefit of participating in the California Sustainable Winegrowing Program is that we have subsequently become a learning-teaching vineyard. Every technique we implement is thoroughly documented so that we, and neighboring Sonoma winegrowers, can pinpoint the best ways to protect our land and craft the best wines from these vineyards. We are also actively involved in the Fish Friendly Farming certification program. While this may seem like a matter totally unrelated to wine, watershed quality management is intrinsically connected to farming our vineyard because our property includes two blue-line creeks. These creeks are a part of the Russian River watershed that supports steelhead trout and Coho salmon populations. In conjunction with our neighbors and local, state, and federal agencies, we work diligently to promote the overall health of the Russian River watershed so that the entire ecosystem remains in balance and is preserved for generations to come. Our winegrowing practices involve the Integrated Pest Management program, which discusses the best practices for maintaining soil and vine health and proactively farming to reduce and treat pest pressures. Field experts provide monthly lectures concerning pest problems and solutions which we implement in our vineyard. Through our integrated pest management program, we have complemented the biodiversity of our vineyard by promoting the presence of beneficial insects, soil fauna, and owls that combat pests of grapevines. Finally, we recycle our grape and water waste by fertilizing with composted grape pomace and irrigating only with reclaimed winery wastewater. In effect, we have closed the loop on our waste system in an effort to reduce our carbon footprint on the land we so love. Outside of the vineyard, our Francis Coppola Diamond Collection wines are packaged in 100% recycled cardboard case boxes, and all of the corks we purchase come from sustainable cork forests. Additionally, we insist that the label and foil companies we do business with have environmentally friendly practices as well. During the reconstruction of Francis Ford Coppola Winery, all of the crews, vendors, and sub-contractors we hired were local residents, helping to cut down on transportation costs, as well as supporting the economy of our community. Rather than use new lumber for the construction, we reused the wood from the Redwood trees that were removed from the courtyard area. Some of this timber was used to build the main reception desk in the Guest Services building, while other portions has been used to build the outdoor dining tables. The pyramid skylights in our towers feature an environmentally friendly material called Kalwall to construct skylights. This material diffuses light in such a way that little artificial lighting is needed, which helps conserve energy. |
