RESOURCES Additional Resources Communicating Climate Action Glossary of Climate Smart Terms Resources Referenced throughout Toolkit Climate Action Plan Worksheet - Template Implementation Guides Literature Review - California Climate Hub Carbon Footprint Study Cost-Share Opportunities California Winegrape Growers and Vintners are on a Climate Action Mission:  To use climate smart practices to lead the way towards a vibrant and sustainable future. We are the fourth largest wine producing region in the world, with nearly 400,000 acres of certified sustainable vineyards, more than 65% of the state’s total vineyards, and with 90% of California wine made in a certified sustainable winery. Our climate smart winemaking methods are working — at a scale that makes a difference.     Climate Change Demands Climate Action  In California we’ve learned to change course when necessary, adapting our winegrowing practices to save natural resources and make better wine.      By striking a balance between long-established and modern-day practices, we’ve found ways to reduce energy consumption and lessen our environmental impact. Be it with electric tractors, LEED-certified buildings, night harvesting or adorable flocks of sheep, the changes we’ve incorporated have made a measurable difference.     Climate change has stirred most of us to action like never before, and California winegrape growers and vintners believe their best years are ahead of them. Judging by recent vintages, we’d have to agree.      Your Choice Matters. Choose California. Choose Climate Smart Wine.   From grapes to glass, California wines are made by people who believe in a sustainable future for their wines. They’ve made choices, in the vineyard and winery, to use climate smart practices so you can feel good about the wines you choose.    Communicating Communicating Climate Action Incorporating climate action messaging into your sustainability communications is an effective way to share with your customers and stakeholders the many ways the California wine community and your company are addressing climate change. Below are a few examples of climate action messages that you may use verbatim or modify to make relevant for your own marketing and communications needs. See a full list of example climate action message points . Resources: California Wine Climate Action Message Points : A guide to help wineries and vineyards create communications and marketing messages about climate smart practices. U.S. Wine Trade and Climate Beneficial Practices : Results of research that indicates U.S. wine trade is interested in the climate beneficial attributes of sustainable wine. For more tips on communicating sustainability: Communicating Sustainability Tips: Integrating sustainability into communications strategies Communications Training Guide, Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing Glossary of Climate Smart Terms Adaptation: Adaptation refers to practices that help adjust to current and future effects of climate change (such as reduced water availability) or take advantage of opportunities presented by climate change. Carbon Footprint: Vineyard Carbon Footprint: The amount of greenhouse gas emissions emitted from vineyard operations (e.g., grape cultivation, equipment use, irrigation, fertilizer and pesticide application, harvesting) minus the carbon sequestered in the vineyard's soil and vegetation. Winery Carbon Footprint: The total amount of greenhouse gases emitted by a winery operation’s activities, including wine production, packaging, distribution, etc. Carbon Sequestration: The capture and long-term storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) in plant material and soils. Plants are considered a “sink” for CO2 because they uptake CO2 during photosynthesis and store it in plant tissue such as leaves, wood, and roots. Climate Positive (aka Carbon Negative): When an organization reduces more emissions than are produced, achieved through reducing use of fossil fuels, using renewable energy and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (i.e., carbon sequestration). Circular Supply Chain: A system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources. Climate Smart Winegrowing: Refers to practices that help manage a vineyard or winery’s climate challenges and risks, mitigate climate change impacts (through carbon sequestration and reducing greenhouse gas emissions), and build resiliency to current and future climate impacts. Decarbonization: Switching the source of energy from fossil fuels such as natural gas and oil to carbon-free renewable energy sources. GHG Inventory: A quantified accounting of an operation’s activities that release greenhouse gas emissions or remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. A GHG inventory can help an operation manage GHG risks and identify reduction opportunities. The emissions included in a GHG inventory are divided into three scopes: Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3. Scope 1: Refers to direct emissions from activities under the company’s control such as production and company vehicles. Scope 2: Refers to all purchased energy (electricity and fuel). Scope 3: Refers to indirect emissions from the value chain such as those generated from transporting and distributing products. Scope 3 emissions for your company are other organizations scope 1 and 2 emissions. Global Warming Potential: The ability of a greenhouse gas to trap extra heat compared to CO2. GHGs referred to as “potent” have a much higher global warming potential than CO2. Hotspot: An area of the product life cycle that has significant potential impact on an environmental aspect, such as GHG emissions, and is identified and generally agreed upon by experts. The intent of identifying hotspots is to understand where to focus improvement initiatives. Mitigation: Mitigation refers to practices that help to reduce the impacts of climate change by reducing emissions of GHGs or through carbon sequestration. Glossary Adaptation Mitigation Carbon footnote Climate Action Plan Worksheet Climate Action Plan Worksheet The Climate Action Plan Worksheet will help you create a strategy for climate mitigation and adaptation, identify where to focus time and resources and a plan for implementation. The worksheet includes a checklist that you can use to track your progress through the toolkit and provides guidance on what information to add to the worksheet. Climate Action Plan Worksheet (Excel File: comprehensive version) Climate Action Plan Worksheet (Word File: simple version) Implementation Guides These guides provide detailed information and concrete steps to implement climate smart practices along with resources and tools to assist with implementation. Cost-share and incentives may be available through governmental and non-governmental organizations to reduce the financial burden of certain practices; therefore, the end of most guides contains a Cost-Share Opportunity section with available assistance and funding opportunities. Vineyard Guides: Viticulture Adaptation Soil Health & Carbon Sequestration Habitat and Biodiversity Vineyard Water Use Efficiency Energy Efficiency & Renewables Sustainable Purchasing Vehicles & Transportation Solid Waste Winery Guides: Energy Efficiency & Renewables Sustainable Purchasing Vehicles & Transportation Solid Waste Water Efficiency Implementation Guides Literature Review Literature Review - California Climate Hub Summary Handout: Managing California’s Vineyards for Resilience: Strategies for a Changing Climate Five strategies for adaptation and mitigation are summarized in this document , which are drawn from the research paper below that synthesizes the literature on the science-backed actions for viticultural response to climate change. Research Paper: Managing California’s Vineyards for a Changing Climate: Science-backed Actions for Adaptation and Mitigation A research paper that provides a curated synthesis of literature on the science-backed actions for viticultural response to climate change across disparate subdisciplines to provide a whole system resource to aid decision support for producers and technical service providers. Carbon Footprint Study California Wine’s Carbon Footprint : Study objectives, results and recommendations for continuous improvement . Results from the carbon footprint study identify the major hotspots (improvement opportunities) for the California wine supply chain. Cost-Share Opportunities Many climate smart practices are included in cost-share programs that provide funding and/or technical assistance for implementation of new practices -- e.g., cover crops, conservation tillage, composting, mulching. There are also numerous rebates and incentives available for energy efficient equipment and practices. For more details on specific cost-share opportunities see the Implementation Guides for each topic area listed above or in Step 3: Implement. Carbon Footprint Study Anchor 1

IMPLEMENT: VITICULTURE ADAPTATION Managing for Climate-Adapted Vines Across all winegrowing regions of the world, climate change impacts are already apparent and demonstrate a multitude of challenges, most notably seasonal variability and chaotic weather fluctuations. Adapting vineyard development and viticultural practices to withstand stressors like heatwaves, droughts, floods and altered growing seasons ensures sustainability against ever-changing and unpredictable environmental conditions. To build resiliency to current and projected impacts, winegrape growers must make viticulture management decisions based on their vineyard’s vulnerabilities and risks in the face of climate change. The information below will help growers create flexible strategies and identify adaptation practices suitable for current and future challenges. Priority Practices Quick Links: Rootstocks & Scions Vineyard Design & Canopy Management Wildfire Preparedness Building Resiliency to Climate Change Impacts with Climate Smart Vineyard Design When planting or replanting a vineyard or block, there are key elements to vineyard design that can have lasting benefits in a changing climate. Most importantly, strategically choosing both rootstock and scion can improve the resilience of vineyards to climate change. Vineyard design considerations such as row orientation and trellising, along with canopy management practices can further increase the resilience of grapevines. By understanding the climate risks that are most likely for your vineyard site, you can tailor your selections and design considerations to address water stress, increased erosion potential, and/or high heat events. Selecting Rootstocks & Scions for Climate Resiliency When selecting rootstocks and scions to plant in a new or replanted vineyard, consider what climate change impacts are predicted for your region. Choosing rootstocks and scions that are well-suited for current and predicted changes from climate change will ensure your vineyard’s sustainability. Rootstock selection can affect vine growth, yield and disease resistance with limited influence on berry quality. Generally, high vigor rootstocks can better access water in dry years and have longer growing seasons, while low vigor rootstocks may better resist extreme drought because of their smaller canopies. Also consider rootstocks that resist soil-borne pests present in the region or pests that may be exacerbated by climate change. Various scions provide different adaptive benefits and can be more resilient to climate impacts such as increased drought, changing seasonality, extreme heat, frost, and pest and disease pressure. When choosing a scion consider: Phenology: Late-ripening varieties such as Grenache, Monastrelle and Petit Verdot can mitigate the effects of compressed development. Heat Tolerance: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Grenache and Syrah are known to be better suited for warm climates. Drought Tolerance: Look for varieties with high water use efficiency to handle increased water stress. Cultivars associated with warm and dry climates, like Cabernet Sauvignon, may also be better suited for drought conditions. Rootstocks & Scions Changing Seasonality: Varietal-Specific Vulnerabilities Recent research describes how modeling for six winegrape varieties in 12 of California’s AVAs show potential changes in phenology and environmental conditions: Compressing of Development: Results show more rapid development for winegrapes with earlier budburst, flowering, veraison, and maturation across all varieties and AVAs. Cabernet Sauvignon shows the greatest change in phenology timing, while Chardonnay shows the least change. Projections of Pinot Noir development show chill being delayed by 1-3 weeks and maturity occurring 1-3 weeks earlier. More Extreme Heat: Heatwave events (extreme temperatures lasting for consecutive days) decrease berry size and influence berry chemistry which can impact yield and quality in many cultivars. Heatwaves can be hazardous to worker safety and productivity. Increased Water Demand: Warmer temperatures and more extreme heat days will increase water demand, which in some regions may be exacerbated by decreased winter precipitation which is necessary for soil moisture recharge. Less Changes in Warmer Climates: Warm-climate AVAs like Lodi and Madera will see less drastic changes in winegrape phenology than cooler-climate AVAs like West Sonoma Coast and SLO Coast. To learn more about the research findings including more specific information by AVA, watch this video summary or see the research paper, “A variety specific analysis of climate change effects on California Winegrapes” (Parker, et al., 2024). Vineyard Design & Canopy Management Can Help Regulate Extreme Temperature and Sun Exposure Vineyard design and canopy management practices can offer significant protection to grapevines against climate change. Vineyards designed with east-to-west trellising are more resistant to temperature extremes than those running north-south, although other factors such as site topography can influence the preferred orientation. Grapevines with elongated trunks are more resistant to temperature extremes than those close to the ground. Orienting vineyard rows to minimize erosion is also important, particularly when heavy rain events follow periods of dry weather that have diminished the soil’s capacity for water absorption. Using canopy management techniques like leaf thinning and shoot trimming can help regulate canopy temperature and sun exposure. Vineyard pruning and thinning practices may increase soil carbon storage if the extracted biomass remains in the vineyard. Similarly, the dropping of fruit can be a valuable carbon input. When developing a new vineyard site conserving existing native perennial vegetation can preserve sources of carbon storage. Planting hedgerows with native vegetation when existing plants cannot be maintained enhances the surrounding habitat by providing areas for beneficial insects to flourish to help with pest pressures. Vineyard Design & Canopy Mgmt Preparing for Wildfires Climate change is already creating changes in wildfire dynamics, leading to increases in extreme wildfire events, which can indirectly impact grape and wine quality through vineyard smoke exposure. Climate science shows these extreme wildfire events are likely to continue to increase in the future. It is important to ensure your property and staff are prepared for a potential fire. Visit the resources below to help you prepare. Wildfire Preparedness Resources: A Winegrower's Guide to Preparing for Wildfires : Includes a checklist with steps to take to reduce the risk of fire on your property and how to prepare your vineyard or winery staff in the event of a fire. West Coast Smoke Exposure Task Force : Includes relevant research and industry resources on best practices, crop insurance, wildfire preparedness, informational videos, etc. Wildfire Preparedness & Recovery Resources : Wine Institute has compiled resources to help winegrowers proactively prepare for the risk and threat from fire season. Wildfire Preparedness Viticulture Adaptation Resources: Viticulture Adaptation Implementation Guide : This guide provides details and resources about adaptation practices related to vineyard design and rootstock and scion selection. Managing California’s Vineyards for Resilience: Strategies for a Changing Climate : A summary handout of the findings of a recent literature review conducted by the USDA California Climate Hub that synthesizes the key climate change impacts that will affect California vineyards. Climate Change and California's Winegrapes : An educational webpage/StoryMap created by the USDA California Climate Hub that covers the projected impacts of climate change on winegrape phenology, the adaptation and mitigation strategies currently available to producers, and the gaps in research and technology that must be addressed to protect the future of winegrape production in the state.

HOW TO USE The toolkit is organized into three steps that you can use in a linear or non-linear way, depending on your starting point and organizational goals. STEP 1 - LEARN STEP 2 - ASSESS & PLAN STEP 3 - IMPLEMENT Learn why climate action is essential to navigate the current and expected impacts of climate change. Identify and prioritize climate smart practices to include in your Climate Action Plan. Get information about climate smart practices, link to resources and tips on implementation. Getting Started Below are some suggestions for using the toolkit based on where you are starting from and your goals. New to Climate Action: If you are just beginning to better understand how climate change will impact your vineyard and/or winery, we suggest you work through the three toolkit steps in order: Learn, Assess & Plan, and Implement. Once you complete the steps, you will have a written Climate Action Plan that summarizes your goals and prioritizes practices for implementation. Create a Climate Action Plan: If you understand why climate action is needed, you can jump straight to Step 2: Assess & Plan to begin creating your Climate Action Plan and prioritizing climate smart practices for implementation. Browse through the Implement step to find resources about specific practices that help mitigate and adapt to climate change. Support an Existing Climate Strategy: If you manage an existing climate strategy and already have a climate action plan for your vineyard and/or winery, the Implement step provides helpful information on practices that are likely already in your strategy. However, reviewing the Learn and Assess & Plan sections may be valuable, as there may be new information to integrate into your strategy or share with others in your organization for educational purposes. Download the Climate Action Worksheet Regardless of where you start, completing the Climate Action Plan Worksheet as you make your way through the toolkit will help you create a strategy and implementation plan, focus time and resources, and provide a place to record insights. There are two versions available – a comprehensive, in-depth Excel version or a simple, high-level Word version. Excel Word Video: How to Use the Toolkit Watch this video to learn how to work through the toolkit steps to develop your personalized Climate Action Plan and strategy.