49: Sharing Wine, Sustainability, & Science with Steve Lohr

In this episode, CSB Director CB Bhattacharya is joined from San Jose, California by Steve Lohr, president and CEO at J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines. With a portfolio of 36 wines totaling 1.8 million cases, California’s J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines is one of the larger operations in California and a major player in the US wine market. Their strides in the sustainability arena include reducing the amount of water needed to make a gallon of wine by half, reducing greenhouse gas emissions across their 3-acre array, and investing in a solar power system at its Monterey estate vineyard that powers nearly 100% of its energy needs. With approximately 250 employees around the country, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines is one of the Top 25 wineries in the country by case volume. An important part of their success over the decades has been the team’s conscientious “farming for the future programs.” In fact, J. Lohr was one of the very first vineyards in California to earn the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing distinction. In the Episode Steve Lohr and Prof. Bhattacharya discuss - How J. Lohr decreased dependence on oil-based fertilizers, using a common winemaking byproduct instead. - What innovative conservation efforts to help “drought-proof” the wine industry. - Why long-term thinking in the industry includes planning for the next generation of both vines and people through soil health, and more… Sign up to receive bi-weekly episodes right to your inbox: bit.ly/csbpodcastemail Submit your "Sustaining Sustainability" feedback and/or questions: bit.ly/csbpodcastfeedback This episode was researched, recorded, edited, and produced by Prof. CB Bhattacharya and CSB Team of the University of Pittsburgh Center for Sustainable Business: www.sustainablebusiness.pitt.edu Music: "Lively" by Dee Yan-Key From the Free Music Archive CC BY NC SA creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/legalcod