Food & Health

Direct from the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance: "The number of California wineries and vineyards adopting environmentally sustainable practices has jumped 24 percent since 2004, according to an industry progress report (2006 pdf download here). The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance released its 2006 Sustainable Winegrowing Progress Report this month detailing the industry´s efforts to become greener. The Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers established the alliance in 2002 to promote environmental stewardship and social responsibility. There are 1,165 vineyard and winery operations participating in the sustainability program, which represents 33 percent of California´s 522,000 total wine grape acres and 53 percent of the state´s annual wine production, which is 273 million cases. Growers and vintners assess and report their agricultural and wine production practices confidentially through the program. Participants are able to compare their practices with regional and statewide results to see where they stand".