Second-Generation Family Winery Honored with National Award for its Commitment to Sustainable Farming

RICHMOND, VA (July 2024) – The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is proud to present Fisher Vineyards with its prestigious Energy for Everyone Hero Award. Since 1973, Fisher Vineyards has remained steadfast in its mission to produce wines that pay tribute to the land, and propane is an important component to this commitment.

PERC’s Energy for Everyone Hero Award recognizes the ways propane is revolutionizing the agricultural and commercial industries – contributing to enhanced efficiency, sustainability, and profitability. The award honors outstanding propane users to celebrate the successes propane has brought to their business and communities.

Located in beautiful Napa Valley, Fisher Vineyards is a family winery with two locations in Calistoga and Sonoma County. Inspired by the passion and founding vision of their parents, three second-generation siblings lead the winery today. And in 2018, Fisher was certified Napa Green for meeting the highest sustainability standards in the wine industry.

“For six decades, we have remained steadfast in our mission to produce wines that pay tribute to the land, as well as each member of our winery team, striving for classic balance and style that transcends time,” said Rob Fisher, owner of Fisher Vineyards.

Propane provides reliable, affordable, and efficient energy independent from the electrical grid system, regardless of power outages. Fisher Vineyards utilizes propane for multiple applications critical to its operation, including:

• Refrigeration: Maintaining optimal temperatures during the barrel-aging process.
• Grape Preparation: Powering equipment used in grape processing and fermentation.
• Power Generation: Offering critical backup power during harvest and during electricity outages.
• Frost Prevention: Running fans to protect crops during frost events.
• Water Heating: Using propane boilers for efficient water heating.
• HVAC Systems: Ensuring consistent climate control across the facility.

When wildfires threatened to destroy up to 90 percent of the season’s grape harvest, Fisher Vineyards took advantage of PERC’s Double Propane Farm Incentive Program to invest in a 150 kW generator. Through this program, applicants affected by natural disasters can receive twice the standard incentive amounts for $600 per liter of fuel displacement for propane-powered irrigation engines, up to $60/kW for generators, $3,000 for flame weeding systems, and $4,000 for agricultural heaters.

“In a state where electricity is expensive and blackouts are common, propane’s reliability is of utmost importance,” said Michael Newland, director of agriculture business development at PERC. “We are proud to see how Fisher Vineyards has embraced propane as a sustainable energy solution to continue to produce highest quality wines with minimal environmental impact.”

To learn more about Fisher Vineyards’ story of resilience, high quality production, and unwavering focus on environmental stewardship, visit FisherVineyards.com.

Learn more about propane’s role in agriculture.

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About PERC: The Propane Education & Research Council is a nonprofit that provides leading propane safety and training programs and invests in research and development of new propane-powered technologies. PERC is operated and funded by the propane industry. For more information, visit Propane.com.