Turning (Less) Water into Wine
By Lindsay Bass
Dec 31, 2015 9:00 AM ET
Originally published on December 31, 2015
In 2014, a small winery in the central coast of California experienced a dramatic reduction in the flow of its groundwater wells, severely limiting the amount of water available for production, and threatening the viability of the entire operation.
At the time, the winery — along with the rest of California – was experiencing its third straight year of drought. With water resources already scarce, the severe reduction in available water could have been a disaster for the winery, as well as its employees and business partners, many of whom are residents of the surrounding Paicines community. Instead, the winery decided to embark on a new journey of water stewardship.
