LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards of Lodi, Calif., took home top honors Oct. 4 in the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) 2014 International Award of Excellence in Sustainable Winegrowing competition. LangeTwins topped the field this year based on the winery’s on-going programs that address the three elements of sustainability – environment, economic and social – as well as wine taste. Five additional wineries – two from France, two from Italy and one from the U.S. – also won awards based on their strong sustainable programs.
“We are thrilled to know that while we continue our sustainable farming practices for generations to come, BRIT will be supporting research and raise public awareness for the importance of sustainable land management and the immense value plants bring to our lives,” said Aaron Lange, co-owner of LangeTwins. LangeTwins farms more than 8,500 acres in the Lodi and Clarksburg appellations. The winery’s sustainable features include wildlife habitats, water conservation programs, renewable energy production, integrated pest management, and the willingness to share best practices and challenges with other wineries. The BRIT award is the only international award of its kind. As a nonprofit, international plant research and knowledge sharing organization, BRIT offers this award to help raise interest and awareness of the value plants bring and the need for biodiversity.
-Betty Dillard bdillard@bizpress.net