Joined by 270 friends, family, club members, and wine lovers alike, the Shannon Family received the Green Medal Environment Award at Shannon Family of Wines' first Sheep Shearing party on the property since 2019. This event is well-loved in Lake County and was started as a way to showcase their regenerative farming practices through the use of sheep on the property.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif., April 22, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Joined by 270 friends, family, club members, and wine lovers alike, the Shannon Family received the Green Medal Environment Award at Shannon Family of Wines' first Sheep Shearing party on the property since 2019. This event is well-loved in Lake County and was started as a way to showcase their regenerative farming practices through the use of sheep on the property.
"This event is important to us because the sheep operation is such an integral part of the day-to-day management of our vineyards," shares owner Clay Shannon. "We don't just have sheep for a few months out of the year, we have them 365 days and have experienced huge environmental benefits from having these animals as a permanent part of our team."
Since 1996, the Shannon Family has made sustainability a key facet of the winery's mission with the inception of Project Ovis. The project, which is centered around the use of sheep on the property year-round, encompasses the transformation of the 1,000-acre Lake County California mountain vineyard estate into a completely sustainable, regenerative organic farming system. With the goal of protecting the future of their Lake County estate and the wine industry as a whole, the Shannons started Project Ovis to reimagine viticulture and winemaking to address and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Saturday's event featured music, food, wine, and professional sheep shearers flown in from New Zealand. Staying true to their core mission to stay sustainable and produce as little waste as possible, the wool that was sheared from the sheep last Saturday will be used to create textiles while the sheep continue to maintain the eco-balance in the vineyards.
During the event, the Wine Institute presented the Green Medal Award to the Shannon Family. The award was received by Clay and Angie Shannon, along with their daughter and son-in-law Brooke and Lorenzo Pacini, and their granddaughter Laela Ann. The Shannons were inspired to prioritize sustainability by envisioning the world that they wanted for their grandchildren, so it was a full-circle moment to have three generations present to receive the award
The Shannon Family of Wines portfolio includes Buck Shack, Clay Shannon, Giannecchini, High Valley, OVIS, Shannon Ridge, Steele Wines, and Urgency. For more information on Shannon Family of Wines' sustainability efforts, visit http://www.shannonfamilyofwines.com/sustainability and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
About Shannon Family of Wines
The Shannon family is committed to preserving their land, not only for the great vineyard sites but also for the bear, elk, mountain lions, eagles, and other creatures which live there. Of their approximately 2,500 acres, only about 40% have been converted to vineyards. The balance of the land has been preserved for the wildlife which wanders through the property from the expansive wilderness areas adjoining the ranches. The vineyards were carefully planned out, leaving corridors open to migrating animals, protecting sensitive nesting areas, and will be 100% Certified Organically farmed this year.
Media Contact
Ally Lowder, Colangelo & Partners PR, (919) 561-1375, [email protected]
SOURCE Shannon Family of Wines
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