The Pestoni's: Beyond Wine
2000 - 5 mins

Directed by: Claudia Laffranchi
DP/Camera and editing by: Alberto Engeli
for TSI-Swiss TV

Napa Valley is world famous for its wine, but grape-related products go well beyond wine, as the Pestoni's, owners of Rutherford Grove Winery and the Upper Valley recycling facility, will show us. Faithful to their roots as a farming family and to their commitment to recycling, the Pestoni's a family of Swiss-Italian heritage- don't waste anything, and prove that everything can be used out of grapes.

They produce wine but also grapeseed oil, used for gastronomic and aesthetic purposes; they launched a cosmetic line called Uvavita whose main ingredient is the grapeseed extract polyphenol; and finally they use the pomace to make compost, which will then be used as a fertilizer in the Valley's vineyards. Closing this circle, the Pestonis prove that ecology and the art of recycling can be good business as well.