A case study on using irrigation automation to conserve water, cut energy use, and elevate vineyard performance.
CHANDON has consistently demonstrated innovation in environmental practices, resource efficiency, and community engagement, setting a new benchmark for sustainable viticulture. The California Green Medal Awards were established in 2014 to recognize vineyards and wineries that lead the industry in the areas of environment, economic development and social equity. As we all work towards a more sustainable future of agriculture, this recognition highlights the effort of vintners and winegrape growers striving to protect the environment and enrich the community.
CHANDON’s 2025 California Green Medal Environment Award
CHANDON’s Carneros vineyards are irrigated using a combination of surface water and reclaimed water sourced from the City of Sonoma, while the Yountville site relies primarily on recycled water from the winery’s own wastewater treatment system. These strategic decisions have allowed CHANDON to virtually eliminate groundwater use for irrigation—saving thousands of dollars annually and supporting broader efforts to address the ongoing groundwater crisis in both the Sonoma and Napa basins.
In addition to the choice of water source, CHANDON’s irrigation efficiency is exemplary. With a significant emphasis on irrigating the proper amount, CHANDON combines advanced technology with visual scouting to determine irrigation needs. When irrigation events are required, CHANDON’s staff schedules the irrigation amounts within the HotSpot AG interface, enabling them to irrigate at the most beneficial times. The resulting irrigation data is then compiled and exported to AgCode to compare planned versus actual usage. This automation streamlines their reporting process and enables real-time refinement of upcoming schedules.
As a result of this meticulous approach, CHANDON has averaged 12 inches of applied water per season over the past three growing seasons (2022-2024) at their Yountville location—saving an exorbitant amount of water and subsequent energy costs.
This chart shows HotSpot AG Irrigation Data from CHANDON Yountville applied amounts compared to CIMIS ETo with a crop coefficient (Kc) of 0.6 for Napa Valley winegrapes.
CHANDON’s sustainability strategy includes aggressive energy efficiency goals. Both the Yountville and Carneros sites employ Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) to optimize pump operation, ensuring uniform water distribution despite varying terrain elevations. VFDs adjust the motor’s frequency and voltage—controlling ramp-up and ramp-down during operations, which not only improves efficiency but also reduces energy consumption. By integrating these systems with HotSpot AG’s scheduling capabilities, CHANDON further minimizes energy use by operating irrigation during off-peak Time-of-Use hours, effectively lowering costs and reducing environmental impact. PG&E savings when operating outside of TOU.
“You not only encouraged us but also help us presenting supporting data from HotSpot AG. I hope you also feel this award as yours as well.” Says Carlos Danti, Winegrowing Director at Chandon.
In today’s challenging wine market, growers are looking for ways to reduce costs while appealing to consumers who value sustainably sourced products. Coming from farming, HotSpot AG understands that true sustainability must include profitability—because protecting the land long-term means staying in business to do so. Our advanced irrigation and fertigation automation helps growers streamline routine tasks and empower their teams to focus on higher-level decision-making, enabling them to do more with limited resources.
If you’re looking to reduce inputs, boost efficiency, and gain a competitive edge through sustainability—HotSpot AG is here to help. Let’s talk about how you can apply these same tools to meet your goals and lead the industry forward just like CHANDON is doing.
About Vinoshipper
Vinoshipper is an end-to-end compliance, tax, and e-commerce platform that gives wineries, distilleries, and other alcohol producers the ability to sell directly to consumers while navigating the complexities of regulatory compliance and tax collection in real time. Every sale through the platform is guaranteed to be compliant.
By employing subject matter experts that work directly with regulators, the company is committed to helping producers comply with all laws, including age verification prior to purchases, state tax collection and reporting, and package tracking.
The company facilitates the expansion of direct sales across the United States for small and medium-sized producers and gives consumers more variety and brands to choose from. This helps create open and fair competition by removing barriers for independent businesses.
With more than 15 years of continual development and reinvestment in the platform, Vinoshipper is now the market leader in direct sales compliance and business software.
Headquartered in Windsor, California, Vinoshipper was launched in 2006 to help small producers. It is among the fastest-growing companies in the heart of wine country.
About our CEO & Founder
Steven Harrison is the President & CEO of Zero Link Markets, the company that operates Vinoshipper, an e-commerce and compliance platform for direct sales of alcohol products. The business facilitates small and medium-sized alcohol producers to sell and ship their products directly to consumers. He has more than 25 years working in finance and operations management and has been involved with several early-stage businesses, ranging from software companies to medical devices and consumer products.
As the co-founder of Zero Link Markets, Steven had the vision to create the Vinoshipper platform to help small businesses comply with the complex, multi-jurisdictional regulations and reporting requirements involved in selling wine, beer, and spirits.
Sixteen years after it started in 2006, the platform is at the forefront of the Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) movement, helping to transform and modernize the industry which dates to the Prohibition era. With more than 2,500 producer clients using the platform, Vinoshipper is one of the largest compliance businesses in the country.
When he is not helping his team with the rigorous job of compliant sales and shipping, Steven spends most weeks talking with public officials about the policy nuances related to DTC and advocating for new laws that support the safe and legal shipment of alcoholic beverages.
Title | Name | Phone | Extension | |
---|---|---|---|---|
No contacts found |
Locations | Address | State | Country | Zip Code |
---|---|---|---|---|
Vinoshipper | , Windsor | California | United States of America | 95492 |