press Kit

Our Mission…

We set out with a simple mission: give wine-drinkers an environmentally responsible option that will help preserve the world’s winegrowing regions in the face of climate change. We knew that meant we couldn’t just be carbon neutral — we had to go beyond neutral and actually be CLIMATE POSITIVE.

Our Vision…

Our goal is to sequester 100,000,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere within 10 years. Our vision is that entrepreneurs in other industries will follow our lead and create their own climate positive businesses.

Our Promise…

As long as the quality of our wine is not negatively affected, we will always choose the path of lower greenhouse gas emissions in every aspect of our business.

People and Partnerships

Alexander Katz

When I started making wine in California a decade ago, harvests were still on the kind of schedule they had been on for the previous 30 years. But with each successive year, droughts became more severe, harvests started earlier, and wildfires torched vineyard lands with increasing regularity. I realized that I had the responsibility and the opportunity to do something about it, and that’s why I started Protector Cellars.

My name means, “Protector of the People,” so when I was starting this winery, I kept coming back to that idea. Most of the time, we think about environmentalism as protecting the Earth. But why do we care more about the preservation of the Earth than we do about preserving any other part of the universe? I can’t speak for everyone, but for me, it’s because we, the people, live here.

Nikolina Kovalenko

Nikolina is an artist and activist. She is interested in humanity’s diminishing connection with nature and strives to expose the consequences our everyday actions have on the environment. She works with fragile ecosystems, creating artwork inspired by locations specific to each project. Her art explores a range of subjects including global warming, deforestation, coral bleaching, and glacial retreat.

We are amped to be able to showcase her climate-focused art on our wines.

www.nikaart.org

Trees For The Future

We have partnered with Trees for the Future to help us in our carbon capture efforts. They take a holistic approach to planting trees, with a heavy focus on the social and economic benefits of trees as well as the environmental benefits:

“Through our Forest Garden Approach, farmers plant thousands of trees that protect and bring nutrients back to the soil. This helps farmers grow a variety of fruits and vegetables. Forest Garden farmers gain increases in income and food security, even in the first year.”

www.trees.org

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Press releases

quotes from the founder

“After spending a decade making wine and seeing first-hand how rapidly climate change is upending our system of agriculture, I knew I needed to take action.”

“Although my background is in making pricier wines, I wanted Protector to be more accessible. The power to make environmentally responsible buying decisions shouldn’t be limited to the wealthy.”

who cares?

The American public believes that climate change is real and wants to do something about it. According to 2018 research by the Yale Program on Climate Communication:
- 65% think citizens should do more to address global warming
- 68% think corporations should do more to address global warming
- 70% think that environmental protection is more important than economic growth
The industry is catching on. According to the California Sustainable Winegrowers Association’s 2019 annual report:
- 2019 saw a 50% increase in the number of certified sustainable vineyards
- 85% of wine produced in California was made at a certified sustainable winery
- Sonoma County reached a milestone 99% of vineyards certified sustainable
Alternative packaging for wine is on the rise, far outpacing growth of traditional packaging
- Canned wine sales increase 77.5% for 52 weeks ending 4/20/19 (Nielsen Scantrack)
- Canned wine has been written about in all major wine publications (Wine Spectator, 5/22/19; Decanter, 7/23/19; Food & Wine, 7/17/19; Wine Enthusiast, 9/13/18)