"Over the past two decades, much of the wine
industry in the United States has been moving away
from conventional farming—away from chemical
pesticides and fertilizers and a monoculture of grapes.Instead, the more environmentally friendly practicesof sustainable and biodynamic farming… are being embraced here and around the world."
— DANA NIGRO, JUNE 30, 2007

to download the full Wine Spectator article
“Wine Goes Green.” [2.72mb .pdf]

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MIKE BENZIGER on
Farming for Flavors™
Join Mike Benziger on a virtual tour of his Biodynamic® Estate vineyard as he explains the new Benziger program certified-sustainable. Created to help each member of the Benziger grower family achieve the highest level of sustainability appropriate for their unique vineyard sites, certified-sustainable elevates the Benziger commitment to crafting distinctive, authentic wines through environmentally conscious farming.

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FARMING PRACTICES
Benziger Family Winery is creating a new definition of wine quality through its certified-sustainable, organic and Biodynamic winegrowing practices. Their 85-acre, certified
Biodynamic Sonoma Mountain estate has become a research and teaching center for the
cultivation of grapes with more flavor, intensity and site-specific vineyard character. The
family shares its farming knowledge and experience with their longtime grower partners
throughout Sonoma County. The three levels of farming practices for Benziger wines are:

Biodynamic-is the highest form of organic farming. It goes beyond the elimination of all chemical inputs. It incorporates the environment in and around the vineyard and works with nature to apply the knowledge of life forces to bring about balance and healing in the soil. For more information on Biodynamics please visit www.benziger.com/tribute.

Organic-grape growing avoids the use of synthetic chemicals and uses natural methods like crop rotation,
tillage and natural composts to maintain soil health as well as natural methods to control weeds, insects and other pests.

Certified-Sustainable-is an advanced farming program for all Benziger growers that are not already certified Biodynamic or Organic. The program challenges growers to use sound environmental techniques to cultivate grapes with more site-specific characters, flavors
and aromas.

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ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES
Nurturing the earth is a way of life for the Benziger family, their employees and their suppliers. The family’s abiding commitment to the environment is evidenced by integrated practices in their vineyards and winery, including a water recycling program with constructed wetlands, solar powered pumps at the estate vineyard in Bodega, insulated fermentation tanks to conserve energy, solar parking lights, the use of biodiesel in tractors, an aggressive recycling program and continuing educational programs for staff, growers and suppliers. A leader in environmental conservation, Benziger Family Winery holds the Bay Area Green Business and the Sonoma County Green Business certifications, as well as Sunset magazine’s Green Winery Award for 2005.