California wineries getting into the green act
Whether it's a red or a white, there are ways to be sure the wine in the glass is a little more green.
A good first step is to look for wineries that are working to reduce their carbon footprint.
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 completion date is anticipated for this year.
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., an international producer and marketer of beverage alcohol brands.
In 2007, it launched a global Corporate Social Responsibility initiative based on 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 and 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.
More than 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.
The company is also undertaking a comprehensive global carbon-footprint analysis of its business to determine how best to reduce greenhouse gas emissions—something environmentalists might all raise a glass to.