The Chocolate Fudge Cafe

This is an excerpt from an article in The Thin Green Line, SF Gate, SF Chronicle’s online newspaper, April 22, 2010.  (I would like to point out that Earth’s Sweet Pleasures Rich Rainforest Dark organic fudge is a big hit at Benziger’s tasting room and we congratulate Benziger on this great honor that they so rightly deserve!)

MIKE BENZIGER  – SONOMA, CA

Local winery wins national green award

For environmental journalists, April is like November is for political reporters. If you didn’t know already, today is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Sadly, many of the numerous press releases I got were from companies touting their annual green initiative. But if you have a sustainability project small enough to announce on Earth Day, it’s not much of a sustainability project. Indeed, Earth Day is a bit of a misnomer, because being kind to the planet that gives you life is not some one-off charitable contribution.

TGL is therefore honoring Earth Day with a power-to-the-people eco-hero championship — where you decide whose efforts on behalf of the planet matter and whose don’t — and with a profile of a local business that radically changed its practices in order to conserve water and soil.

Last week, NRDC announced the winners of its second annual Growing Green Awards, which honor sustainable food producers.  Mike Benziger of Benziger Family Winery was chosen as Water Steward in recognition of the winery’s 15-year commitment to water conservation, which includes recycling some 2 million gallons a year.

When I called Benziger late last week to talk about the award, he first he observed the irony of talking about water conservation he’d spent the weekend of dealing with floods. “For the first time in four years,” he said, “we have standing water in our vineyards. I guess one way or another you’ve got to deal with water, whether it’s coming or going.” But Benziger ultimately revealed that his commitment to biodynamic production (which he helpfully defined) and water conservation ultimately come from his interest making a better product. Cheers to that!