Celebrate Earth Day with Eco-Friendly California Wine

Earth Day 2008 will be celebrated on April 22. This year more Americans than ever will re-examine how their lifestyles and choices impact the environment. Global warming, greenhouse gases and carbon footprint have become household terms, and consumer groups, government agencies, and businesses are working on ways to preserve the land, air, water and other natural resources.

Protecting the environment is a priority for the California wine industry, and has been for years. Vintners and growers made a formal commitment to implement sustainable practices by establishing in 2002 a best practices program named the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing. In honor of Earth Day 2008, California’s two largest trade associations – Wine Institute, representing the state’s vintners, and the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG), representing its winegrape growers – have developed the “Top 10 Reasons California Wines are an Eco-Friendly Choice,” a list to inform consumers about where and how their wines and foods are grown.

Gundlach Bundschu Winery, the oldest continuously operated family winery in California

Those two words - winery and family - are uniquely married in the six-generation history of what almost everyone calls simply Gun Bun, also known as Rhinefarm. And Wednesday, numerous members of the Gun Bun family gathered with local dignitaries to celebrate "Deed Day" and kick off the celebration of their sesquicentennial.

President Jeff Bundschu presided over a frequently funny and often inspiring review of the winery's history, and local dignitaries added their congratulations, including 1st District Supervisor Valerie Brown, Sonoma Mayor Joanne Sanders and state Assemblymember Noreen Evans. Representatives of Rep. Mike Thompson and Assemblymember Jared Huffman presented proclamations, and Evans read a letter from Gov.

Calif. region has wine lover dreamin'

To define California wine is impossible. There are so many different appellations (defined wine growing areas with unique climatic conditions and soil make-up) that you literally have hundreds of little "wine states" within one big one. Many people have heard of Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley. These two regions are so beloved that they may as well secede from the state and form their own wine nation.

Remove those two from the big picture, and you still have barely scratched the California surface. Thanks to the movie Sideways, the often-overlooked region of "The Central Coast" soared to fame. But Miles and Jack visited only the southern portion. The reality is that the Central Coast is one gigantic, all-encompassing, magical planet in its own right. You may recognize some of its "appellations" — Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Maria, Santa Ynez, Santa Cruz, Santa Rita and Santa Lucia. It is like Christmas all year round.

The issue of vintage can be complex

Weather in a given year is more critical in France, for example, than in California because wine production laws in many parts of France prohibit irrigation of vines.

The climates in California wine regions are fairly consistent year to year, making differences between vintages less meaningful.

So, unless you are specifically looking for wines to add to your collection for the purpose of aging them over a period of years, don't be too concerned about vintage.

It's better to enjoy them according to your own needs and desires than to guess at when they might be at their peak.

California wine exports increased 77 percent in value and were shipped to 125 countries

U.S. wine exports, 95 percent from California, reached a record high $951 million in 2007, an 8.6 percent jump from the previous year, according to a report Friday from the Wine Institute, the industry’s lobby. Volume shipments in 2007 increased 12 percent to 453 million liters, compared to 2006.

"The long-term sales trend continues to be positive. Over the last decade, U.S. and California wine exports increased 77 percent in value and were shipped to 125 countries," says Joseph Rollo, director of the Wine Institute’s international department.