Here’s a toast to Sonoma County — the northern Californian locale has plans to become the first certified 100 percent sustainable wine region in the U.S. by 2015, according to a recent announcement by the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission (SCW). The organization represents 1,800 wine growers throughout Sonoma County.
So what exactly is “sustainable” wine? It may just sound like a buzzword, but sustainable winemakers are more efficient with their use of land and energy, consume less water and spray fewer chemicals on their grapes. Of course, Sonoma County — named one Wine Enthusiast‘s “Top Ten Wine Destinations for 2014” — has more than just an environmental incentive to go green. As the San Francisco Chronicle reports, mega-retailers like Walmart are increasingly looking for sustainably produced goods.
But sustainability also means being a better community member and neighbor, according to Katie Jackson of Jackson Family Wines. “It means taking care of the land for the long term,” she told the Chronicle. “And it’s something that we know consumers, both internationally and domestically, care about.” We’ll drink to that.
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