We care about sustainability. In fact, it is something so important to us that we adopted it as one of the core values we uphold at the winery and Inn. So what exactly is sustainability? According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, it is based on a simple principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainability is important to making sure that we have and will continue to have the water, materials and resources to protect human health and our environment.
Before the Inn opened, before contractors were hired, even before blueprints were drawn up, Claudio knew that sustainability would flow in every aspect of the hotel. It’s so much more than remembering to recycle and monitoring our water usage. In fact, it’s sometimes the small details that can make the biggest difference. Here are some of the efforts we’ve put in to the Inn to help keep our environment strong for the future:
Building orientation: The Inn was oriented to minimize sun exposure to the rooms, thus keeping them cooler and decreasing air conditioning usage. Trees shelter the west wing and large overhangs protect the hotel’s corridors. The lobby structure shelters the central garden from wind and sun.
Water: There are no bathtubs; instead we have low flow, high pressure showerheads. Also, we have leak detectors, ultra low flow TOTO toilets, and rain water irrigation.
No bathtubs, but the showers are awesome!
Landscaping: We plant Mediterranean or native California greenery which thrive naturally in our temperatures, soils, and rainfall, rather than varietals that would require lots of extra water.
Native greenery in the courtyard means less watering
Operating supplies and equipment: We only use sustainable suppliers and organic products. We practice a soap recycling program through Clean the World, a non-profit charity that provides soap to those in need.
You can see our full list of sustainability efforts at the Inn here.
And we’re not finished! We are always looking for ways to add to and improve our sustainability efforts.
To book a room at The Ponte Vineyard Inn, click here.
–In what ways do you and your family put in an effort for a sustainable future?
No comments yet. You should be kind and add one!
By submitting a comment you grant Ponte Winery Blog a perpetual license to reproduce your words and name/web site in attribution. Inappropriate and irrelevant comments will be removed at an admin’s discretion. Your email is used for verification purposes only, it will never be shared.