Fetzer Vineyards is relying on billions of worms to clean up the winery’s process water.
And here’s the good part: The California vintner’s worms – which work in tandem with microbes to digest contaminants in greywater – are at the heart of a natural system from BioFiltro that uses 85% less energy to clean winery water, regenerating up to 17 million gallons annually for re-use in vineyards and landscaping.
The new system is one of a number of Earth-friendly innovations Fetzer Vineyards has recently introduced in an effort to preserve vital resources and find ever-more-efficient ways to put planet conservation on an even playing field with premium winemaking.
Fetzer is the first American winery to use the BIDA System to treat 100% of its wastewater. In January of this year, the winery announced another important sustainability milestone for wine: installation of a fleet of APANA smart water meters at its Mendocino winery, where Internet-of-Things technology and cloud computing will allow winemakers and facilities teams to spot water leaks in real time, reducing waste.
Fetzer Vineyards is the first U.S. winery to install this innovative technology, using big data to save as much as 25% more water. From worms to the latest Internet-of-Things technology, this California vintner’s Earth-friendly efforts aim to be as innovative as they are effective.