This story is part of our “Women in Wine” series — an ongoing effort to highlight the women shaping today’s evolving global wine industry. From winemakers to sustainability specialists to executives, these are the women among the vines to watch in 2018 .
Winemaking is an enterprise defined by the future. Vines that are planted now will slowly mature and bear fruit over time, fruit that will age in casks and bottles before finally being uncorked and enjoyed. And while all winemakers must look to the future and plan years ahead, Fetzer and its Bonterra Vineyards label has spent decades finding ways to make that future a better place.
Fetzer Vineyards has been a sustainability pioneer since the 1980s. For over two decades, the company has developed practices that are environmentally-friendly, socially responsible and economically viable. In 1990, Fetzer had the idea to create a 100 percent organic wine label – Bonterra Vineyards – and in 1992 that idea came to fruition when the first wine under the Bonterra label was released. Since then, Bonterra has become the number one selling brand of wines in the US that is made with organic grapes.
Elizabeth Drake is one of Bonterra’s sustainability specialists, a role she landed almost immediately after graduating from Cornell University. For Drake, the job was the perfect storm of her combined passions and studies—she could apply her knowledge from school in the sustainability field while also making an exciting leap into the California wine industry. At only 22 years old, it was a dream come true.
Always looking ahead, we were eager to talk with Drake and get her insights into what’s next for Fetzer and Bonterra, as well as how she herself has impacted the company’s sustainability efforts.
What Does a Sustainability Specialist Do?
Elizabeth Drake: Overall, my job is to manage the environmental and social impacts of our operations. I monitor the winery’s water use, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. I analyze everything and then look for opportunities for improvement.
In addition to all the analyzing, I also manage all of our certifications. We're a certified B Corp. We're certified zero waste. We’re certified carbon neutral. We’re certified as a California sustainable wine grower. It takes a lot of coordination to keep these certifications current, so I spend a lot of time collecting data, issuing assessments and other necessary tasks to make sure we maintain those certifications.