Thousands of wine enthusiasts are gathering in Sacramento this week at the nation's largest wine and grape tradeshow. Experts highlighted "sustainability" as a growing trend in the industry. As Lesley McClurg reports Sonoma County is featured as a leader in sustainable viticulture.
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Last January Sonoma County Winegrowers made a commitment to be 100% sustainable within five years. The first year was a success. More than forty percent of vineyard acres are already certified. Karissa Kruse is the president of the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission.
Kruse: "So it's a really big deal because we are almost halfway there in our first year and so now I can much more confidently say I do not doubt, I believe very strongly that we will reach one hundred percent within the five years if not before."
Farms were assessed on more than 100 criteria including energy efficiency, drip irrigation and pest management. But, also business practices like...
Kruse: "How you treat your employees. Do you train them? Safety. How you engage in the community. And, then finally all of that still needs to wrap up to have a viable business the next year."
The Sonoma County Winegrowers have written a 100-year business plan to guide their effort over the long term.
In Sacramento, I’m Lesley McClurg.
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This story was produced by Capital Public Radio