More wineries focus on going green

Rodney Strong Wine Estates announced last month that it is now "carbon neutral." The Sonoma County winery joins several in California, South America and New Zealand that, through conservation and investment in clean energy (by buying carbon credits), have reduced their carbon emissions enough to essentially zero out their contribution to greenhouse gases.

Wineries today tout their environmentalist credentials almost as much as their scores from influential wine critics. Their news releases gloat about certifications for sustainable or organic farming or glittering new solar power arrays more often than about the latest vintage release. Napa County police recently nabbed a ring of thieves who were sneaking onto winery grounds at night to pilfer valuable solar panels.