2006-05-12
Educational Green Tours at Kunde Estate Winery
Hike Volcanic and Vertical 2,000-Acre Estate
Tours Conclude with Wine Tasting and
Gourmet Lunch Overlooking Sonoma Valley
Kunde Estate Winery & Vineyards will offer Green-Tours in 2006 for hiking and wine enthusiasts to enhance public education and awareness of sustainable winegrowing practices. The tours climb 1400' up through the vineyards and into the Mayacamas Mountains, concluding with wine tasting and a gourmet lunch overlooking Sonoma Valley with fourth-generation winegrower, Jeff Kunde. Lasting approximately four hours, the hiking tours are $75 per person. 2006 dates are May 27, July 8, August 12, September 23 and October 15. Pre-registration is required and space is limited. For more information visitors may call the Hospitality Department at (707) 833-5501. The winery is also developing less strenuous eco-programs including self-guided tours of its creek restoration projects.
In December 2005, Kunde Estate was awarded Second Level Green Business Certification by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “This was the catalyst for the program,” said Jeff Kunde. “The ecological diversity and scope of our 2,000-acre estate allows for this one-of-a-kind Wine Country tour. Our guests will leave with a clear understanding of the differences between sustainable and organic farming and their benefits to the environment.”
Kunde Estate is one of only twelve wineries out of more than 200 in Sonoma County to achieve Second Level Certification. 700 acres of the family’s 2,000-acre estate are planted to vines. The family manages five distinct eco-systems: riparian, aquatic, oak woodlands, native grasses and chaparral, as well as the vineyards that produce eighteen grape varietals. Over the past three years, Kunde Estate has seen production grow by 42.8%. During this same period, the winery cut electrical usage by 19.8% and natural gas by 24.8% per case of wine bottled. Water conservation programs have reduced usage by more than 218,000 gallons annually. Total waste has increased by only 11.5%.
Sustainable farming goes beyond the methods of organic farming, and focuses on organic sustainability as a long-term goal, not a specific set of farming practices. “All these eco-systems and sustainable winegrowing programs work in harmony,” said Jeff Kunde, “with every element playing an important role in the integrity and quality of our estate grown wines.”
Kunde Estate Winery is located at 10155 Sonoma Highway 12 in Kenwood. The tasting room is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call (707) 833-5501.
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