Image: www.fetzer.com
Green Living: How did you come to be involved in the wine industry?
Ann Thrupp: It’s been a circuitous route. I have a background in international agriculture and environmental management. I worked with bananas and coffee in sustainable development projects located in Latin America and Africa for many years. For 10 years I was the director of the sustainable agriculture program of World Resources Institute. Then I worked for the EPA where I managed a grant program for growers and other organizations promoting sustainable and other environmentally friendly practices in agriculture. That’s what led me to the wine industry. I thought the industry, in particular Fetzer, was an outstanding leader in implementing sustainable practices; and the Bonterra brand is an exceptional leader of organic wines with great quality. It’s great to work with a company and people that have this “green” commitment; I’ve been with the company for five years now.
GL: Urbanites have this vision of the vineyards. Tell me, is it as romantic as we want it to be?
Thrupp: Well I have to say I am fortunate. We live in a place that is very beautiful and yes, you might say romantic. The fact that we are doing organic farming means that we keep the natural diversity in the landscape. I think it’s incredibly inspiring. and romantic. I get to work out in the vineyards with our growers during part of the year, and of course being organic makes it particularly attractive. You don’t have to be worried about chemical exposure.
GL: California grapes and its workers have had a troubled history. Is it satisfying to be doing something different around that?
Thrupp: To me it’s very exciting to be changing that history. Our sustainability program also encompasses the social aspect as well -- we emphasize social equity here. Education and chances for advancement are very important, and we have a very strong safety and health program. We also like to share our information with growers and other wineries so we host a lot of tours. In California, there is now a strong program promoting sustainable practices, called the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. (I was the part-time director for two years). This program facilitates education and exchanges between growers and wineries so everyone can see that sustainability is possible. Fetzer participates actively in this program, and is playing a leadership role in this context.
GL: What do you think about the whole debate over natural cork vs. plastic cork?
Thrupp: There are mixed views. One way to avoid the whole debate is to look at screw tops. They are really great and we have started to incorporate them on some of our lines. Our Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc has a screw top, and it’s a wonderful wine that is selling very rapidly and is definitely popular. It’s true that screw tops don’t have the same aura as corked wine, but they do keep the wine quality better than corks; they avoid spoilage of the wine. The screw tops can also be recycled. They are more widely accepted in Europe and they are becoming more accepted by consumers in North America. It’s going to take awhile to catch on. Americans sometimes hang onto corks because of the tradition, the romance of taking a cork out.
GL: I think part of the problem is that all the bad wines seem to have screw tops.
Thrupp: It’s changing. I think it’s happening through education. Screw tops are becoming acceptable -- particularly for white wines.
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