In celebration of Earth Day and Earth Month, Iron Horse Vineyards is beginning a partnership with The Marine Mammal Center, the world's largest marine mammal hospital, based in Sausalito, CA. A portion of the proceeds from Iron Horse's 2019 vintage of Ocean Reserve Blanc de Blancs Sparking Wine ($75.00), will be donated to The Marine Mammal Center. The goal is to help protect the health of the ocean.
"We are very excited for this new partnership," said Joy Sterling, Partner/CEO of Iron Horse Winery. "The caring work that the scientists, veterinarians and expert caregivers provide for sick and injured marine mammals is both heart-warming and essential to the diverse eco system of our California coast."
Sterling was just appointed on March 15 by the State Senate to the California Coastal Conservancy, the lead state agency on climate change adaptation.
Iron Horse has been helping protect the ocean for 15 years. The family is focused on the ocean because it is the driver of the special microclimate which allows them to produce Sparkling on their level of finesse. The first vintage of Ocean Reserve was 2005, originally benefiting National Geographic. Proceeds from the 2018 vintage went to Mission Blue, founded by marine biologist Sylvia Earle, to establish marine protected areas around the globe. On March 31, Iron Horse Vineyards launched their partnership with The Marine Mammal Center with the release of the 2019 Ocean Reserve, especially timed for Earth Day celebrations.
Guests are welcome to join in a special toast at one of Iron Horse's signature, Four O'clock Friday tastings on April 21, showcasing the new vintage of Ocean Reserve, paired with oysters. Reservations required. And to join Tuesday, April 25 an evening at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco - How a Changing Climate Is Altering the Way We Drink; in person or virtually; link: https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/2023-04-25/how-changing-climate-altering-way-we-drink
Iron Horse Vineyards is also extremely proud to working on restoring the coho salmon habitat in Green Valley Creek, which bisects the vineyard, in partnership with Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. "This is my brother's project, many years in the making," said Sterling. "Amazingly, our section of Green Valley Creek is a critical passageway for coho salmon, right under the bridge at the entrance to the property."
The timeline is to break ground on the habitat in the summer of 2024 to create a refuge where flood water can be stored, then released into the creek when needed by the fish-strictly for the fish, as Iron Horse uses recycled water in the vineyards.