August Heats Up, Goes Green

By Hilary Berg, OWP Managing Editor

Summer has definitely heated up. As I write this letter, it is 100 degrees outside and, except for the few masochists, everyone looks melted, like uncomfortable versions of themselves.

But in here, the AC is humming—so much so that at certain times of the day I have to don my hoodie—and I am focused on the task at hand: the August issue.

Last year we set aside August to focus on sustainability, and this year we have done the same. While you might think April is the better month, with Earth Day and spring planting on the brain, we beg to differ. It is in the dog days of summer that we see Mother Earth’s profound ability to call the shots: hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, droughts, floods. Did I mention sweltering heat?

She is one tough, complex lady, and from the looks of it, we better treat her right or life as we currently enjoy it, will change for the worse.

At the recent awards banquet for Oregon Business magazine’s “100 Best Green Companies to Work For in Oregon” event held in Portland, Susan Sokol Blosser—who placed sixth out of 372 entries—was invited to be the keynote speaker, and for good reason.

When I think of wine and sustainability, my mind immediately goes to her. She has amazing insight and the energy to match. Her speech was the inspiration for the cover story. Read it carefully and take notes. Sokol Blosser is an Oregon authority when it comes to green practices.

The other feature is about sustainability and the government’s role in making expensive projects happen. Of course, there is a lot of paperwork, and the process is slow and deliberate, but for Left Coast Cellars and Bjorn Vineyard, the grants were welcome and have elevated them to cleaner, more efficient businesses.

Throughout the rest of the publication, you will find other green stories, including the trend of natural wine bars, the living green roof at Portland Wine Storage and Oregon restaurants that take gardening into their own organic-minded hands.

As you read these stories, I hope that you take your time and soak in all the information. Being “green” these days is no longer a fashion but a necessity, especially in the world of wine.