Avenue Vine: Sustainable Wine Growing Tours

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November 14, 2007

Sustainable Wine Growing Tours

California wineries becoming more committed to sustainable practices, a few wineries are working to spread the news and the experience to the public.

Kunde Estate Winery in the Sonoma Valley leads four-hour hiking tours of its 1,850 estate acres from spring through fall. The “eco tours” of its vineyards, oak woodlands, chaparral, native grasslands and riparian and aquatic habitats cover about five miles. About 60% of the Kunde land is open space.

"The people who come on the hike are not your typical swirlers and sniffers,” says Jeff Kunde, chairman of the winery’s board and the tour leader.

“We do it because we want to educate people and to show them we consider ourselves stewards of the land.” The Kunde family recently completed its 103rd harvest.

Kunde’s winery, where scenes from the upcoming movie “Bottle Shock” were recently filmed, plants cover crops between vineyard rows to introduce nutrients into the soil, uses beneficial insects and owls to kill harmful insects and rodents, and practices extensive erosion control and water and energy conservation.

“We’re not perfect, but we’re learning and trying new things all the time,” says Kunde, who is working with a Wine Institute committee on sustainable certification for California wineries. He defines “sustainable” as farming and winemaking “that is socially equitable, environmentally sound and economically feasible.”

Some 250 miles south in the Paso Robles wine region, grape grower Cindy Newkirk leads 2-hour, vintage Jeep tours of her family’s 500 acres through The Wine Yard at Steinbeck Vineyard. “It’s really important for me to share our sustainable and conservationist policies—to let our visitors know that farmers are conservationists,” says Newkirk*

And another one from Santa Ynez Valley & Santa Rita Hills

Here's a guilt-free trip for eco-conscious oenophiles: riding a biodiesel (soybean-powered) van to visit vineyards that practice organic and sustainable farming. A new Santa Barbara company called Sustainable Vine Wine Tours offers daylong outings to several wineries in the nearby Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Rita Hills.

You meet the winemakers, sample their vintages and salve your conscience. The company donates 1% of the proceeds to environmental groups, said owner Bryan Hope, a "green" building consultant. The tour fee, $125 per person, includes pickup at the Amtrak station or your hotel, wine tastings and an organic picnic lunch. Reservations are required. (805) 698-3911, www.sustainablevine.com.**

*Source: “Sustainable Winery Tours,” Janice Fuhrman, Wine Enthusiast, November 14, 2007

**Source: “Santa Ynez Valley & Santa Rita Hills,” Mary E. Forgione, Los Angeles Times, November 14, 2007