The GRAS wine program seeks to bring exposure to 'sustainable' or 'natural practices in winemaking and the wine industry.

We celebrate:
1) Sustainable Vineyard Practices - Vineyard practices that are sustainable, including those that are certified "organic" or"biodynamic."

2) Natural Winemaking - practices of making wine that use indigeneous yeasts and 'minimal intervention,' laissez faire techniques

3) Local - winemaking that is closely related to Sacramento and with aims to sustainability.

GRAS AIMS
• customers/industry - define and teach the terminology and practices of sustainable wines
• wine representives - focus or bring attention those wines with sustainable practices
• restaurant wine lists - - encourage symbols on wine lists to represent different levels of sustainability

"Today only about 2% of California's 500,000 acres of vineyards are certified organic, although about another 5% may also be practicing organic. Each year, California's wine grape growers yearly apply more than 450,000 pounds of Roundup to California's soils." - Wine Country G

LIST OF WINERIES - GRAS is compiling a list of wineries that we support for their efforts.

THE ARGUMENT FOR CLARKSBURG CHENIN BLANC

LINKS
All About Sustainable, Organic and Biodynamic Wine, So, What's the difference? - PJ Wines

What are Natural Wines? Chambers Street Wines

Of Cowhorns and the Cosmos - Washington Post - "Simply put, biodynamic agriculture is Extreme Organics

Wine Anorak - Pt. 1 - Introduction to Biodynamics
Pt. 2 - What is Biodynamics

SFGATE - A fresh take on sustainable winemaking, Natural Process Alliance, Kevin Kelley

Natural Process Alliance - Pinot Gris, Sauv Blanc, Klean Canteen. We believe that expressive soil is sacred, responsible farming is a requirement and natural winemaking is the only option.

WineCountryGeographic - Organic Wine Uncorked
The Delicious Revolution Will Be Vinified

WineCountryGeographic - Shafer's green acres

Shafer's Green Acres : SF Chronicle 6/2005 "One of Napa Valley's premier wineries shows that sustainable farming can enhance already superb wines"