The first annual Green Wine Summit will be held December 1 and 2, 2008 in Santa Rosa, California. The ground-breaking event is designed to set the stage for the already green wine industry to get even greener. Co-chaired by founders Lesley Berglund and Mack Schwing, the Summit will feature green leadership sessions, speaker panels and a Green Showcase. The Green Wine Summit will be held at Hyatt

Vineyard Creek Hotel and Spa in Santa Rosa's historic Railroad Square.
"From Biodynamic(R) farming to carbon neutral wineries, the wine community has consistently been ahead of the curve when it comes to protecting our environment.

Not only does sustainable, eco-friendly farming help our environment, it also produces great wines," said Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA). "The ideas and proposals that come from this summit will be viewed as a model for the rest of the country, and I'm proud to represent an area that has taken such a leading role on these important issues."

Green Wine Summit forums, led by a who's who of wine industry, trade and media leaders, feature four key learning tracks: Best Green Practices, The Business of Green, The Green Consumer, and Green Communications. Speakers include green wine innovator Paul Dolan, and Seth Bauer, editorial director of National Geographic's Green Guide, among others.

"Consumers are changing how they make their buying decisions," said Seth Bauer. "Quality, energy consumption, and impact on the planet now factor into every choice they make. Every industry -- and the ecosystem -- will benefit from the shift."

In addition to the forums, the conference will feature a Green Showcase, offering significant time for attendees to meet one-on-one with companies providing green services and products during the trade show.

"The Green Wine Summit is a forward looking conference that acknowledges the sustainability and best practices of the California wine industry and gives wineries the tools to ensure that the wine buying public knows that we are world leaders in eco-friendly farming and winemaking," said Paige Poulos of Paige Poulos Communications, moderator of the Authentically Green session.

For more information and to register for the Green Wine Summit, please visit www.greenwinesummit.com.