Soil Health

Soils are a non-renewable resource essential for climate regulation and sustainable wine grape production. Building soil health through sustainable soil management practices that promote the accumulation of organic matter, biodiversity, and soil protection, can build vineyard resilience and longevity. Additionally, these practices can benefit vine health and support wine grape growers’ targeted production goals.

Napa Valley soils are very diverse with distinctive characteristics encompassing 33 soil series and 6 soil orders. The valley is home to deep and rich alluvial soils, rocky hillsides, and volcanic soils found in a wide range of topographies. This soil diversity provides the perfect setting to grow more than 40 wine grape varieties, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay being the most widely planted.

Principles of Soil Health

Soil health can be managed by following a series of basic principles that will preserve the integrity of soils as ecosystems and guarantee the provision of ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, C cycling, water retention and infiltration, or regulation of biodiversity, among others. These basic principles are:

Read more about cover crops and compost

Soil Health Study

In 2020, NVG worked with a team of California soil scientists and extension agents spearheaded by Dr. Cristina Lazcano, PhD, UC Davis, to submit a 3-5 year vineyard trial project to study soil health, and the potential for carbon sequestration in Napa Valley soils. Our eventual goals include developing real metrics for what “healthy soil” is for premium wine grapes, and as we learn, educating our members and all growers on what practices best impact soil health, carbon sequestration, and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in our vineyards.

The Napa Valley Soil Health Guidebook will be released in 2024.

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