Wine Enthusiasts Find Ways To Toast The Environment

Whether it's a red or a white, there are ways to be sure the wine you drink is a little more green.

A good first step is to look for wineries that are working to reduce their carbon footprint. For instance, a leading winery in Gonzales, Calif., near Monterey, plans to get more than half of its electricity-about 1.7 million kilowatt- hours of electricity per year-from more than 6,300 solar panels that will be built on its roof. Any electricity that's not used at the winery will be exported to area residential customers during nonpeak winery use periods.

The project is anticipated to be completed in 2009 and is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Through the lifetime of the system, it's expected to annually reduce the facility's carbon footprint in an amount equivalent to planting 2,500 acres of trees, not driving an average automobile 25 million miles, or taking more than 2,000 automobiles off the road. Well-known wines crafted at Gonzales include Robert Mondavi Private Selection, Solaire by Robert Mondavi, Black Box and Hayman & Hill.

The winery is owned and operated by Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ), a leading international producer and marketer of beverage alcohol brands. In 2007, it launched a global Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative based on three pillars: sustainable business practices (environmental efforts), philanthropy and social responsibility.

The company also has a major presence in Australia, where in some regions water is at a premium. Its Banrock Station Wine & Wetland Complex was built on sound environmental principles and covers 4,200 acres on the Murray River in South Australia. The wetland restoration program earned a listing by the world's most prestigious wetland organization, Ramsar, as one of the 1,200 Wetlands of International Importance.

Over 25 percent of the vineyards have been converted to subsurface irrigation, expected to result in water savings of around 30 percent in this drought-affected area. Additionally, the winery has made contributions in excess of AUD $5 million from sales proceeds toward environmental conservation efforts around the world.

Similarly, the company's Jackson-Triggs and Inniskillin wineries at Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada's Ontario province have partnered locally with Vandermeer Greenhouses to turn grape skin into "green" electrical energy rather than send it to a landfill.

The methane gas produced by the decomposition of the residue, grape skins and seeds is captured and used to generate electricity and heat for both Vandermeer operations and nearby residential customers.

Additionally, the company is undertaking a comprehensive global carbon-footprint analysis of its business to determine how best to reduce greenhouse gas emissions-something we might all raise a glass to.

For more information, visit www.cbrands.com.