Stoller Vineyards
Founded in: 1993
Website: stollervineyards.com
Specialties: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
What unusual item would we find in your compost pile? Corks
What is an example of a small change we could all make to make the planet a better place? Say no to bags at the store; especially if you can put it in your backpack/purse or carry it out.
When you first approach Stoller Vineyards, you may not notice all of the bells and whistles of the LEED Gold Certified, solar producing, gravity-flow winery, but you will notice the turkeys. The turkey emblem is everywhere, an homage to Bill Stoller’s grandfather and uncle who ran a turkey farm on the same site in the 1940s.
Bill Stoller grew up on the turkey farm and spent endless hours gathering turkey eggs, irrigating crops, preparing the brooder house for newborns, feeding and watering them, building fences, taking the turkeys out to range, trucking feed components to the granary, mixing the feed… Through this hard work, he developed a deep connection and respect for the land.
His father and uncle used to talk about the slopes and soil of the land, complaining that the soil was so rocky that it would break discs and plows when they tilled. It lacked the nutrient-rich top soil of the valley floor leaving them with low-yielding feed crops. When Bill and his wife Cathy purchased the land in 1993, they knew this rocky terrain could be transformed into a world class vineyard, and farmed sustainably.
Part of the Stollers’ commitment to the land meant the creation of a winery that operated in a sustainable manner. The winery, the first LEED Gold certified winery in the US, integrates gravity-flow winemaking techniques, energy-efficient heating and cooling, and waste-water reclamation to reduce negative environmental impact.
Beyond the vineyard and winery, the Stollers’ sustainability efforts extend into their employment practices. Winemaker Melissa Burr explains “there is a deep commitment to meeting the needs of the employees, both personally and professionally. The Stollers firmly believe that happy employees create a more sustainable climate. You respect people and create a happy work environment.”