Talking Sustainability with Hunt Country
A version of this column was published was published 02/23/22 in The Observer and The Review & Express.
My pup and I got caught in a snow squall during our morning walk last week. Her senior moments and arthritic elbows make fast escapes a little more difficult these days, so I scooped her up and ran. We strolled along the same route just two days prior, during the beginning of an over 50 degree day in mid-February.
I have to admit that the mid-winter thaw was nice, but these extreme weather events feel a bit unsettling. The idea of climate change and sustainability is more top of mind for me now than ever, especially with my career change. Admittedly, I’m shocked by how pragmatic the climate change conversation is in the wine industry so I decided to ask Suzanne Hunt to explain why.
You’re likely already familiar with her family’s property, Hunt Country Vineyards, where she’s Co-Owner and Director of Sustainability. Suzanne, whose family has been stewarding land on the westside of Keuka Lake since the 1820s, says, “the wine industry has been having a completely clear-eyed conversation about climate change for as long as I can remember.”
Image by Matt Kelly
She smiles as she thinks back to her childhood, “when I was a kid there were only a half dozen wineries in the whole Finger Lakes, and now there’s almost 150.” Suzanne says the grapes don’t lie, and that the region is filled with growers who are both inquisitive and thoughtful. “Wine is such a cool combination of artistry and science,” she explains further. “And, if you take away the science, you don't know why things are happening. So, you have to be honest when you make changes in winemaking–what are the results and why?”
Suzanne and team recognize the work is difficult, often expensive, and requires time that many don’t have. “It's already so hard to be a farmer and then you layer climate change on top of it and it's pretty scary.” To combat barriers to entry they’ve worked to formalize information sharing through the creation of industry resources.
Additionally, last September, Hunt Country became the first and only New York State winery to join makers like Ridge, Cakebread, and Silver Oak among the list of International Wineries for Climate Action. This historical moment was “a no brainer” as the brand’s been working towards many of the listed requirements over the years. (Things like geothermal heating, solar powered electricity, EV charging stations, and removing single use plastic like wine capsules among much more.)
With Hunt Country as a driving force in the region’s sustainability efforts, and the New York Wine & Grape Foundation’s Sustainability Program well underway, the future is bright for local sustainable NY wine. “People think innovation comes from Silicon Valley and Cambridge–but meanwhile, it’s rural areas that have often been hotbeds of innovation,” says Suzanne in thinking about where we started and what’s to come.
Though the region might be uniquely positioned to influence climate action, the work will need to be further bolstered by consumers. “The inertia in the system is really hard to overcome whether you're the producer, the marketer or the wholesaler,” Suzanne explains when discussing some of the challenges. She points to the perception that bottle weight correlates to quality as an example, especially when changes in packaging and in spending habits could go a very long way in impact. Perhaps something to consider on your next shopping trip.
“Wine grapes are one of the most climate sensitive crops in the world,” says Suzanne. “We of all industries should be doing everything we possibly can.”