California to stage first annual green wine summit

Monday, 22 September 2008

California is to stage its first annual green wine event in December.

The Green Wine Summit, being held in Santa Rosa on December 1 and 2, will feature green leadership sessions, speaker panels and a ‘Green Showcase', offering attendees the chance to meet one-on-one with companies providing green services and products.

Green Wine Summit forums, led by a ‘who's who' of wine industry, trade and media leaders, will be based around four themes; Best Green Practices, The Business of Green, The Green Consumer, and Green Communications. Speakers include green wine innovator Paul Dolan, and Seth Bauer, editorial director of National Geographic's Green Guide.

"From Biodynamic farming to carbon neutral wineries, the wine community has consistently been ahead of the curve when it comes to protecting our environment. Not only does sustainable, eco-friendly farming help our environment, it also produces great wines," commented congressman Mike Thompson from the California Department of Consumer Affairs (D-CA).

"The ideas and proposals that come from this summit will be viewed as a model for the rest of the country, and I'm proud to represent an area that has taken such a leading role on these important issues."

"Consumers are changing how they make their buying decisions," added Bauer. "Quality, energy consumption, and impact on the planet now factor into every choice they make. Every industry, and the ecosystem, will benefit from the shift."