Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/3815
UP How's this for a stake in the ground: Wente Vineyards is the oldest continuously-operated family-owned winery in the United States. Since 1883, five generations of the Wente family have planted, grown and harvested grapes and crafted wine from their estate vineyards. Being family-owned, vertically integrated and 100% estate grown has enabled the Wentes to be pio- neers in winemaking as well as leaders in wine industry sustainability. From the beginning, the Wente family has had a history of innovation. Recognizing the potential that the Liver- more Valley had for winegrape growing, Carl H. Wente became a pioneer in that area when he purchased 48 acres of vineyard land in 1883. Carl recognized that the unusual east-west orientation of the valley (the majority of California AVAs are positioned north-south), its soil structure and its proximity to San Francisco Bay pro- vided optimal growing conditions. Today, 5th generation winemaker Karl Wente sees the Livermore Valley as "a great place to grow." His creative forces are closely tied to the land he grew up on and now works. "The Livermore Valley has an incredible diver- sity of soils and micro-climates," notes the winemaker, "which allow us to grow fruit of different flavor complexities." Having worked the land for more than 126 years, the Wente family understands the importance of sustainability in farming and business practices. Karl Wente feels a particular responsibility since the Wente wines are 100% estate-grown: "'Estate- grown' has great meaning—so much so because you have a huge responsibility to sustain the land and your future, and at the same time you gain tremendous oversight and control over your farming methods." Commitment to Environment and Community Wente Vineyards utilizes sustainable farming methods throughout its vineyards, and Karl Wente is quick to point out that that is only one small part of Wente family's commitment to sustainability. Codified by Karl's father Eric, uncle Phil and aunt Caro- lyn in the early 1990s, the winery's "Farm- ing for the Future" program took a strong triple bottom line approach to sustainability more than a decade before sustainability became an industry buzz word. Amy Hoopes, Wente's VP of Marketing, explains: "Sustainability is first and foremost about the environ- / the tasting panel / october 2009 Farming for the Future Wente Vineyards and golfing great Greg Norman joined forces to create The Course at Wente Vineyards, a challenging championship course. The view of vineyards against greens is spectacular. Wente Vineyards: