PORTLAND, Ore.—(June 23, 2008)—This election year, Cooper Mountain Vineyards, Oregon’s first biodynamic vineyard and leader in “green” winemaking, is launching its very own kind of campaign: a carbon neutral campaign towards neutralizing its greenhouse emissions.
Long committed to crafting premium, sustainable wines while respecting the soils and climate, Cooper Mountain Vineyards has accepted the Carbon Neutral Challenge Initiative of Oregon wineries and plans to be certified carbon neutral in early 2009.
Organized by Governor Kulongoski’s office, the Oregon Environmental Council, and the Oregon Wine Board, the Carbon Neutral Challenge Initiative encourages wineries to recognize that climate change will significantly impact the ability to grow grapes and produce quality wines. Experts state that climate change will drastically effect the grape growing process, and particularly threaten the cooler weather patterns winemakers have come to rely on to grow their vines.
“We are proud that we have created superior wines in the least impactful way possible,” says winery owner Dr. Bob Gross. “But becoming carbon neutral will be our next step in helping to preserve and protect our environment for future generations.”
To achieve carbon neutrality, Cooper Mountain Vineyards has committed to a series of milestones that will guide them toward its emissions goal. They have already achieved the first milestone of taking inventory of all possible carbon emissions at the vineyard. The remaining milestones are:
Milestone #2: Creating and implementing a mitigation plan for its carbon emissions. To do so, Cooper Mountain Vineyards plans to:
Reduce fuel consumed by winery owned vehicles
Source biodiesel for fuel
Utilize renewable or solar energy
Retrofit electric outlets throughout the winery
Continue employee education on internal energy conservation techniques, including decreasing waste through recycling and working toward more energy efficient tractor use
Milestone #3: Purchasing carbon offsets to counter any remaining carbon dioxide the winery might emit during wine production.
Milestone #4: Receiving certification of carbon neutrality from the Climate Registry. For more information on certification visit www.climateregistry.org.
“Becoming carbon neutral by early 2009 is a tough timeline,” says Gross. “But it’s imperative that we address climate change and take action towards prevention as soon as possible.”
Located in Beaverton, Ore., and founded in 1978, Cooper Mountain Vineyards was the first winery in Oregon to be certified Biodynamic by Demeter and was certified organic by Tilth in 2002. With owners Dr. Bob and Corrine Gross’ vision and winemaker Gilles De Domingo’s skill, together they create classic pinot noir, pinot gris, pinot blanc, malbec and chardonnay. In 2007, Cooper Mountain Vineyards released its very first balsamic vinegar, the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale. Tasting is located at 9480 SW Grabhorn Rd., Beaverton, and is open noon to 5 p.m. year round. For more information, call (503) 649-0027 or visit www.coopermountainwine.com.
# # #
Media Contact: Andrea Courtney
Randall PR / (206) 624-5757
