Albertsons has introduced a line of sustainable wines that bolster its own brands wine offerings but also its portfolio of sustainable private brand products.
Kalyana wines, crafted from select vineyards in California, come to the retailer with a 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, a 2018 Pinot Noir, and a 2019 Chardonnay. The vineyards and winery are certified sustainable by the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, an organization with more than two decades of experience identifying and promoting sustainable wines in California.
The Boise, Idaho-based retailer similarly certifies some of its own brands such as Open Nature home cleaning products that are approved by the EPA’s Safer Choice program and the EPA’s Design of the Environment program. The waterfrontBISTRO seafood brand and Open Nature seafood brands are certified as responsibly sourced, and the O Organics coffee is 100% certified by Fair Trade USA.
For Kalyana, the brand practices careful stewardship and land preservation to create high quality wines through techniques such as:
- repurposing grape pomace to improve soil health and water retention;
- cultivating native grasses to maintain ecological balance and naturally control pests;
- recycling water from the production facility to irrigate the vineyards;
- using predatory birds to help with pest management; and
- distributing fertilizers through a drip irrigation system, which eliminates the need for tractor application, lessens the impact to the soil, and reduces diesel emissions.
“Our team is driven by an innovative spirit and a passion for providing our customers with products they want,” said Chad Coester, SVP, own brands. “We are proud to continue to drive progress on our sustainability commitments with our exclusive brands only available at our Albertsons Cos. family of stores.”
Kalyana sustainable wines are found at Albertsons' various banners, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs, Jewel-Osco, Acme, Shaw's, Star Market, United Supermarkets, Market Street and Haggen.