Fetzer Vineyards, Hopland, pioneering leadership in sustainable environmental practices has been recognized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The 2007 Best-of-the-Best Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award celebrates of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Montréal Protocol, a signature event in climate protection endorsed by 190 nations.
The California Integrated Waste Management Board has also awarded Fetzer its 12th WRAP (Waste Reduction Award Program) award for reducing landfill waste through innovative recycling and waste reduction programs that allow the winery to be a zero-waste facility.
Fetzer first earned the EPA award in 2002 in recognition of its banning during the 1990's of methyl bromide, an ozone-depleting soil fumigant, in Viticultural practices. Methyl Bromide is known to erode the ozone layer, contributing to global warming.
Fetzer's award notes the phasing out of methyl bromide, and the winery's broad use of sustainable practices including organic farming of estate vineyards, integrated pest management, use of cover crops, composting and related vineyard practices, solar and other renewable energy usage, reducing waste and other Earth-Friendly practices. The citation also acknowledges Fetzer's leadership in sharing information about sustainability broadly.
An award ceremony will take place in September in Montréal during a meeting of the Parties to the Montréal Protocol, representing more than 190 nations who have signed the agreement.
In selecting Fetzer for the WRAP award, the CIWMB noted that Fetzer has reduced material hauled to landfills by 95% since 1990, representing the same amount of garbage that would have been produced by 17,000 homes.
Fetzer has earned WRAP awards in the periods 1993-1995, 1997-2002, and each year since 2004.
"Sustainability remains the cornerstone of the way we do business," notes Tim Nall, General Manager, Wine Operations for Brown-Forman, parent company of Fetzer Vineyards.