Fetzer Vineyards Honored for Energy

For the second time in four years, Fetzer Vineyards has been honored by the California Public Utilities Commission with a 2008 Flex Your Power Award for its overall efforts in energy efficiency, conservation, embrace of renewable energy technologies and ongoing energy-related education for both the winery’s staff and the wine industry.

Fetzer Vineyards has long been a pioneer is sustainable business practices.  Among its accomplishments reflected in the newest Flex Your Power award:

· Fetzer has begun “light-weighting” the 23 million bottles of Fetzer Valley Oaks wine produced on average each year, saving energy throughout the production process and supply chain  equivalent to 4,434,470 kilowatt hours, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 14% (or 2985  tons of carbon equivalents) annually;

· The winery has replaced metal halide light fixtures will high efficiency linear fluorescent lights which reduce usage by 255,532 kilowatt hours annually;

· Continued to insulate fermentation tanks, saving 53,942 KWh annually; and

· Remains a leader in renewable energy through its solar installations, including an 899-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system that remains one of the largest in the industry.