RAISING SUSTAINABILITY IN SONOMA
In 2014, Karissa Kruse, the president of the trade group Sonoma County Winegrowers, announced a goal for Sonoma County to become the first 100% certified sustainable wine region. As lofty as it sounded, a lot of people were committed to the concept. From grape growers to vintners, sustainability has long been part of the soul—and survival—of this remarkable place.
Sonoma County is a vast region of more than one million acres. Just 6% of the land is planted to wine grapes, the majority of which is managed by family farmers. Those grapes are sold to more than 425 local wineries, as well as many outside of the county. The hugely valuable crop has kept the area grounded in agriculture and lessened the threat of housing and commercial development.
Ultimately, sustainability in this industry involves land, people and business in harmony. Thanks to the help of a few inspirational advocates with an understanding of each, Sonoma was able to reach 99% of its goal in 2019. Read on to learn more about some of these leaders’ quests to make Sonoma County’s sustainability a success.
Diana Karren
Terra de Promissio vineyard and Land of Promise wines
A native of the former Soviet Union, Karren studied at the University of Pennsylvania’s esteemed Wharton School. In 1998, she met her husband, Charles, an American, while working on a project near the Caspian Sea.
