The Wine Institute

SAN FRANCISCO — The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA)—a non-profit organization established by the Wine Institute and California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) to promote environmental stewardship and social responsibility in the California wine community—recently elected new officers to its Board of Directors and appointed a Managing Director.

Jim Unti of Mission Bell Winery has become the CSWA Board Chairman. Other newly elected officers include Randy Lange of Lange Twins, Inc., Board Vice-Chairman; Bill Cooper of Cooper-Garrod Vineyards, Board Secretary; and Andy Hoxsey of Napa Wine Company, Board Treasurer.

The CSWA board also appointed Dr. Ann Thrupp as Managing Director of CSWA to oversee the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices (SWP) program. Thrupp, who has more than 20 years experience in sustainable agriculture, will also maintain her current position as Manager of Organic Development and North Coast Grower Representative at Fetzer Vineyards. Fetzer's parent company Brown-Forman is contributing a portion of Thrupp's work time at Fetzer to CSWA to demonstrate its support of the program. Thrupp assumes the position previously held by Dr. Jeff Dlott of SureHarvest, whose work has been instrumental in creating and advancing the SWP program. Dr. Dlott will continue to provide strategic advice and technical services to CSWA.

"Ann Thrupp's dedication and expertise working with our CSWA officers and board ensures that the California wine industry will maintain its leadership position and build on the momentum already generated by the Sustainable Winegrowing Practices program," says Robert P. Koch, Wine Institute President and CEO.

"We are looking forward to the next phase of the program which includes increasing winegrower participation and adoption of sustainable practices," says Karen Ross, President of the California Association of Winegrape Growers. "CSWA will hold workshops on issues such as water quality, ecosystem management and energy efficiency, as well as developing new chapters for the best practices workbook."

Previous to the CSWA and Fetzer positions, Thrupp served as Life Scientist & Policy Specialist at U.S. EPA Region 9, consultant to both Robert Mondavi Winery and the Funders Agricultural Working Group, and Director of Sustainable Agriculture at World Resources Institute. Thrupp holds a doctorate in Development Studies from Sussex University, Brighton, U.K., a bachelor's degree from Stanford University and is a graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program. She has published numerous books and articles.

Wine Institute and CAWG initiated the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices program in 2001 to enhance California's reputation as the wine world's leader in the adoption of these practices. More than 90 workshops have been held throughout the state to increase the industry's expansion of sustainability. Workshop participants evaluate their vineyard and winery operations using a 490-page workbook of best management practices. The evaluation results, contained in the California Wine Community Sustainability Report 2004, are helping the industry target opportunities for increasing sustainability. The data represents about 40 percent of California's 250 million case production and 25 percent of its 529,000 wine acres. In December 2004, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recognized CSWA with the state's top environmental award, the 2004 Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA).

For information on the SWP program and upcoming workshops, visit the CSWA website at: www.sustainablewinegrowing.org, Wine Institute website at www.wineinstitute.org or California Association of Winegrape Growers website at www.cawg.org