Understanding Green
Subject of sustainability a real challenge
Here at Oregon Wine Press, the month of August signals green.
I am not talking about money or envy — although I do get slightly jealous when I see a glossy magazine and its slick, albeit expensive, paper. No, I am talking about vineyard sustainability, about which, after writing the cover story, I have a better understanding.
With the completion of several interviews, I wasn’t sure I was going to make sense of the subject because I am “green” to the chemistry, biology and high-tech lingo that many of my interviewees used. I powered through, though, asking LOTS of questions, which is what every good reporter is supposed to do.
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Even if you understand all the jargon, sustainability still can be hard to fully grasp because of its many layers, variables and viewpoints, too.
I believe I accomplished what I set out to do: write an approachable article about some of the latest in green technology and local philosophies.
But even after speaking with winegrowers, scientists, researchers, manufacturers and others, I quickly realized I was only scratching the subject’s surface.
Alas, OWP does not pretend to be a compendium on any specific topic, including sustainability. What OWP does offer is a monthly peek into the ever-expanding world of Oregon wine.
Over the years, I have come to embrace our not-so-shiny paper stock. In fact, it is key to OWP’s own sustainability, a topic I definitely won’t bore you with.