1st U.S. Sustainable Winegrowing Summit  |  June 6-7, 2019

We were grateful to be joined by a community of nearly 500 participants from across the U.S. and 19 countries during the three-day, 2nd U.S. Sustainable Winegrowing Summit.  

It is inspiring to see so many interested and dedicated to a sustainable wine industry. A sincere thanks to all of our speakers for sharing their stories and expertise, our partners for helping to organize the summit, and to our sponsors for their generous support.

Summit recordings, a Q&A document containing replies to unanswered questions sent via "chat", and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) resources are offered below. 
 
 

 

SUMMIT AGENDA: 

Day 1: Thursday June 6, 2019 Afternoon Sustainable Winery and Vineyard Tour |
 

• 2:30   Benziger Family Winery Tour & Tasting  

• 4:00   Leave for St. Francis  

• 4:15   St. Francis Winery & Vineyards Tour  

• 5:15   Leave for Flamingo Resort  

• 5:30   Arrive Flamingo Resort

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6 pm - Welcome Reception, Flamingo Resort and Spa, Santa Rosa 

• Wine & hors d’oeuvres
   

7 pm - Dinner 

• Welcome: Allison Jordan, Executive Director, California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance  

• Keynote Speaker:  Global Sustainability Trends, Lulie Halstead, Wine Intelligence
   

Day 2: Friday June 7 | 8:30 am - 3:30 pm 
Location: MacMurray Ranch, Healdsburg 
 

8:30 am: Summit Welcome, Allison Jordan, California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance  

• CSWA Executive Director Allison Jordan will address sustainability on the international winegrowing scene: the importance of remaining competitive in the global marketplace. 

 

8:50 am: Value of Sustainability: Perspectives from Outside the Industry 

• Experts from other industries will discuss why they adopted sustainability initiatives, how sustainability helped them address certain challenges, and the importance of sustainability to the future of their industries.  

 

9:50 am: Consumer Perceptions on Sustainable Winegrowing, Lulie Halstead, Wine Intelligence  

• Lulie Halstead will review the current findings of a national and international consumer survey and focus group that explored consumers’ perceptions of sustainable winegrowing and sustainable winegrowing programs.   

     

10:35 am: Break  

 

10:55 am : Trade Interest in Sustainable Wine Panel 

• Hear directly from distributors, retail buyers, and sommeliers about what is most important to them when buying and promoting brands with sustainable winegrowing claims. 

 
11:45 am: Lunch 

• Keynote Speaker: Role of Sustainability in California Agriculture, Secretary Karen Ross, California Department of Food and Agriculture (Confirmed)  

 

1:15 pm: Value of Sustainability: Perspectives from Growers and Vintners Panel 

• Growers and vintners from across the United States will exchange their ideas on the value of sustainability, why they participate, what they have learned on their journey, and their methods for communicating their efforts. 

 

2:00 pm    Sustainable Winegrowing Programs - Lessons Learned and the Path Forward Panel 

• Directors of sustainability programs across the country will examine lessons learned from established programs, newly launched ones, and ones expanding in a growing market.  

 

2:55 pm    Wrap-up 

     

3:00 pm    Adjourn  
 

• View 2019 U.S. Sustainable Winegrowing Highlights