Earth Week honors for Valley Bar & Bottle

The Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce and City of Sonoma announce Valley Bar & Bottle as this year’s Earth Day 2021 Honoree.

Lauren Feldman and Stephanie Reagor received a Certificate of Recognition for their stewardship of the environment through sustainable business practices. Their green-wise approach includes sourcing food locally, reducing waste and water conservation, and their ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability and climate action. 

Sonoma Mayor Logan Harvey and Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce CEO Mark Bodenhamer made the presentation on April 22.

A recent addition to the Sonoma Plaza, the shop officially opened last summer at 487 First Street West.

“We are so excited to honor Valley Bar & Bottle for this recognition on Earth Day.  During 2020, it would have been easy for the team at Valley to save money by cutting corners on their green practices,” Bodenhamer said. “But they overcame the challenges while staying committed to the environmental and sustainability goals that are central to their vision for the business.  We are proud to work with people who have demonstrated that you can create amazing food and a special gathering place while making sustainability a top priority.”

The business invested in water-conserving and energy-efficient appliances and improves recycling and organics recovery through employee training and customer outreach. “Valley Bar & Bottle has demonstrated their commitment to protecting our environment and making our local economy more green,” Bodenhamer said.

Valley Co-Founder Lauren Feldman proudly pointed out that “Ninety percent of our food products are sourced from local farmers, and our wine program is made up of entirely organic biodynamic or better – such as regenerative, permaculture, etc. – grape growers with minimal intervention and/or natural practices in the cellar.”

She also noted that their dedication to sustainability extends to the food containers and packaging. “We are quite proud of the work we’ve done to source all compostable takeaway materials and we even do our own coffee bagging in order to buy in bulk and then bag to order in compostable kraft bags to reduce waste.”

About the Earth Day 2021 Business Recognition

As part of the City of Sonoma Earth Action Week and in celebration of Earth Day 2021,  the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce and City of Sonoma partnered to recognize a local business for its green practices. Any business that operates in the City of Sonoma was welcome to nominate itself (or another business) for consideration via an online survey that was made available to the public. A small committee of environmental and civic leaders reviewed the candidates and selected a business for this year’s recognition.

Reporting and photo courtesy Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce