For Fetzer, sustainability is a way of life and the cornerstone of the way business is done. In the mid-1980s, Fetzer made a commitment to conduct business in an environmentally and socially responsible way and has continued to build on that commitment today.
Fetzer is the largest grower of certified organically grown grapes on the North Coast and one of the largest in the world. Twenty percent of all the organic vineyards in California belong to Fetzer Vineyards. All of our 1,700-farmed acres are certified organic through California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). The vineyards are farmed without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers. Fetzer also plays a leading role in the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA), sharing sustainable growing practices with over 1,300 growers and wineries.
Fetzer switched to lighter weight paper for the Valley Oaks wine labels and eliminated foil stamping. As a result, we use fewer virgin materials and reduce transportation costs. In addition, packaging materials are returned to our suppliers so they can be reused or recycled.
In March 2000, greenhouse gas impacts were assessed with the help of Natural Logic, Inc. With the switch to 100% renewable power in 1999, electricity-generated GHG impacts were reduced to zero, and with reductions to landfill, emissions have dropped by 95% compared to 1990.
Fetzer is the first and only winery to buy 100% Green Power. Photovoltaics provide 75% of the power used in our Administration Building. In conjunction with 3 Phases Energy Services LLC and MMA Renewable Ventures LLC, Fetzer Vineyards will place the wine industry's largest solar array atop its winery bottling facility in Hopland to generate 1.1 million kilowatt hours of clean electricity annually. This is enough to offset more than 960,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the equivalent of taking approximately 80 cars off the road for a year or planting 130 acres of trees. Read the full story in our Corporate Responsibility News section.
Process wastewater from bottling, barreling, and cellar operations is treated onsite. After treatment, this water is used for irrigation on the winery's organically farmed vineyards allowing us to reuse almost 20 MG of water a year.
Recently, Fetzer also developed a brochure and neck tags for the bottles to educate consumers and our stakeholders on some of the environmental stewardship measures taking place at the vineyards. Read the Fetzer Sustainability Brochure.