Beyond our mission to craft exceptional wines, environmental and social responsibility are central to how we farm. At both Anahata and Windfall, this is not a program bolted onto the operation — it is the operation. We think of ourselves as stewards first and winemakers second — caretakers of the land we farm, the people who work it, and the broader environment we all share. What that stewardship looks like varies by site — native habitat preservation, thoughtful canopy management, cover cropping, biodiversity — but the governing principle does not: take care of the land, and the land takes care of the wine.
Convictions are only as credible as the standards that verify them. Both Anahata and Windfall vineyards are certified through LIVE, an internationally accredited, third-party program for environmentally and socially responsible winegrowing. LIVE provides the structure, the accountability, and the ongoing audit that ensure our farming practices reflect what we say they do.
Cutting-edge third-party standards covering energy and greenhouse-gas reduction, water and waste management, and materials sourcing.
Native habitat, watershed quality, and wildlife are protected and improved through rigorous biodiversity requirements and whole-farm certification.
Worker health and safety standards, fair treatment, and good-neighbor policies are core to the way LIVE-certified vineyards and wineries operate.
A healthy, vibrant community that actively works to improve the natural and built environments in which we live and work.
In the development of the Windfall Vineyard it was important to us to reduce the impact on the property’s original form. To keep the integrity of the environment, we selected a 40 acre savanna of Oaks and other indigenous trees to remain untouched. This savanna provides a healthy ecosystem to the vineyard and its surroundings.
The Windfall Reservoir is not actually on the 117-acre parcel, it is however, located on an additional 7 acre plot of land that has an evergreen lease from a neighboring property. The reservoir is fed by three streams that come from the Eola-Amity Hills. This reservoir stores 24.5 acre feet of water which equates to 84 million gallons for the purpose of irrigating the vineyard. The footprint of the reservoir is 5.5 acres in circumference and 9 feet deep. The water from the reservoir is pumped up to the pumphouse located halfway up the southeast portion of the Windfall vineyard.
Salmon-Safe farming protects local waterways and wildlife by reducing runoff, conserving water, and avoiding harmful chemicals. For both Anahata and Windfall, our sustainable practices keep rivers clean and support the health of native salmon habitats.