NEWS & INFORMATION

Hunt Country Partners with D.C. Film Festival

We are thrilled to begin 2022 by announcing that we are partnering with the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital (DCEFF) for a virtual conversation about the effects of climate change on wine and how sustainable practices and diversity in grapes can help ensure the future of fine wine. DCEFF is the world’s premier showcase of environmentally themed films since 1993 and hosts the world's largest environmental film festival every March.

"Climate change is impacting every part of our lives, including what we eat and drink," says Christopher Head, DCEFF Executive Director. "In partnering with Hunt Country Vineyards, DCEFF is hoping not only to bring attention to these effects, but also to learn from and talk about ways that we can mitigate these changes to protect our planet."

The conversation will feature Suzanne Hunt, co-owner of Hunt Country Vineyards, and will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 2, from 8:00 to 9:00 pm EST. With each "Wine and Conversation" ticket purchase, participants will receive a trio of wines from our Uncharted Terroir line of wines.

"When I lived in D.C., I loved going to this festival," Suzanne says. "Film is such a powerful medium for informing and inspiring people about the most critical issues of our time. We're thrilled to be teaming up with the world's premiere environmental film festival for this conversation."

Join us for "Wine and Conversation" with DCEFF.

An open letter calling for climate action

The 22 members of International Wineries for Climate Action  – including Hunt Country Vineyards – have signed on to an open letter released this week calling on the wine trade to take climate action.

The climate emergency is by far the most severe threat that we face as grape growers and wine producers. As world leaders convene this month at COP26 in Scotland to reaffirm their support for the commitments made in 2015 at the Paris Agreement to limit global warming, we recognize now as a critical moment in time for the wine community to voice our support for the continuation of these important efforts and take action within our own companies.

We believe that the wine trade can be a beacon of hope and action in the global response to the climate crisis – and serve as a model for other sectors. 

We also greatly appreciate your support as wine lovers for everything we're doing right here at Hunt Country to be part of the solution to the climate crisis. Thank you!

Read the IWCA blog post and the full letter.

Hunt Country makes the 2021 list of Wine Industry Leaders

This week Wine Business Monthly released its 2021 list of Wine Industry Leaders – and Suzanne, Art and Joyce made the list!

Every year, Wine Business Monthly sets out to honor those who shape the way the wine industry operates or how people drink wine. With this leaders list, Wine Business Monthly is showcasing men and women who are making a difference. It's full of movers and shakers, and there are more than a few who are dissatisfied with the status quo. Some of the influential people on this list are known to virtually anyone who follows the wine industry, while others are influential yet fly "under the radar". All of them are leaders in the North American wine business.

Hunt Country is included on the list "for leading the Finger Lakes on a variety of environmental issues, most recently in promoting sustainable measures for viticulture, enology and business management projects."

It's a genuine honor to be part of this year's group of outstanding leaders!

Hunt Country joins International Wineries for Climate Action

We are thrilled to announce that Hunt Country Vineyards is joining International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA), a working group taking collective action to decarbonize the global wine industry. We are the first winery in New York state to become an applicant member of IWCA, and one of just 12 new applicant members from around the globe who have committed to addressing the climate crisis by taking immediate steps to reduce their carbon emissions.

Miguel A. Torres, President of Familia Torres, says that when he and Katie Jackson of Jackson Family Wines co-founded IWCA in February 2019, they wanted to act and move beyond simply talking about the urgency of climate change.

“Our goal was to gather the most environmentally committed wineries, and we hoped our initiative would work as a boost for other wineries to accelerate or start their carbon emissions reduction programs," Torres says. "It is therefore great to see that now with 12 new applicant members joining, we are more than 20 wineries worldwide. We are convinced that this will have a multiplier effect."

The Hunt family and team are proud to be part of this international group of rockstar wineries committed to tackling the most pressing issue of our lifetimes.

"We have been working for many years to address climate change in all aspects of our farm and business," says Suzanne Hunt, co-owner of Hunt Country Vineyards and an international climate policy and sustainability expert. "We're thrilled to team up with other wineries around the world who are tackling the same challenges. As a small family-run business we're able to be nimble, but as part of a larger industry effort we'll be able to develop critical mass in creating demand for products and services like lower-carbon glass bottles, packaging, and shipping options. We're excited to be able to share our own expertise and learn from the expertise of others."

The Hunt family has been farming for seven generations, crafting wine since 1981, and is one of the founding families of the Finger Lakes wine region in New York. We continue to be focused on managing our vineyards and business as part of a complete and healthy ecosystem. We produce the majority of our electricity with 348 solar panels, heat and cool with an award-winning geothermal system, provide EV charging stations to customers, focus on soil carbon sequestration and sustainable vineyard practices, and have certified some sections of the farm and vineyards organic. In 2020, we received the NY Wine & Grape Foundation's Sustainability Award.

Click here to read the full press release on the new IWCA applicant members.

Hunt Country featured in Good Fruit Grower story about sustainable viticulture

The New York viticulture industry’s attempts to create a statewide sustainability certification program moved in fits and starts over the past decade or two, but the latest effort appears to be gaining momentum.

Suzanne Hunt, co-owner of Hunt Country Vineyards and an environmental consultant, has been advocating for the creation of a statewide sustainability program for years. It would benefit Finger Lakes wineries such as hers and reassure consumers who want to know which wines are sustainably made, she said.

“There’s a lot of committed growers ready to sign up once this is launched,” she said.

Read the full story.

Suzanne Hunt featured in Forbes story about sustainable wines

Forbes just featured co-owner Suzanne Hunt and some of her thoughts on how wine producers should be prepared to explain the idea of sustainability to customers.

“It is complicated. We have to be ready to explain. There is no one size fits all, we have to collaborate to make sure we minimize confusion, make it clear, but there is no way to avoid the complexity.”

Read the full story.

 

Our Uncharted Terroir Cayuga got a nice little review

Our 2018 Uncharted Terroir Cayuga White received a wonderful little review from Esther Mobley, the wine critic for the San Francisco Chronicle. It was part of a bigger piece she wrote about hybrid wines that she really enjoys – and why hybrid grapes are becoming more and more important.

"What makes the hybrid conversation urgent is climate change. As temperatures warm and weather patterns become more erratic, vinifera may not be able to thrive forever in all of the places where it's currently grown. Some scientific predictions, in fact, suggest if current trends persist, half of the world's wine regions will become inhospitable to vinifera. Sure, the European grapes — all our Cabernet Sauvignons and Pinot Noirs and Syrahs — are working great in California now. But they may not always...

"Most of the efforts with hybrid winemaking in the U.S., however, are happening outside of California, in areas where extreme weather makes it difficult to grow vinifera successfully... Under its new Uncharted Terroir label, Hunt Country Vineyards in upstate New York has made a nice wine from Cayuga, rich and round with some creaminess from barrel fermentation and lees stirring."

Read the full story when you have a few minutes.

Being as sustainable as possible makes perfect sense

Terroir is often thought of as a snooty wine term. But it's actually a really beautiful concept – especially as it's described by Suzanne Hunt in celebration of Earth Day.

At its best, winemaking is about capturing the unique essence of your place and all of your practices – the terroir – in every bottle of wine. So the fact that we put so much emphasis on stewardship of the land and being as sustainable as possible here at Hunt Country makes perfect sense.

Because our stewardship – all of our decisions about how to take care of the terroir – is critical to the essence of our wine.

To make great wine, you have to have clean air, clean water and healthy soil.

Watch Caring for the Land, a short video that tells our story of sustainability and stewardship.

Hunt Country receives 2020 Sustainability Award

Hunt Country Vineyards on Keuka Lake is the recipient of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation's Sustainability Award for 2020.

"We congratulate Hunt Country Vineyards for being recognized by their peers as a pioneering winery deploying extensive sustainability practices on their farm and in their winery," says Sam Filler, executive director of the Foundation.

Presented for the first time in 2019, the Sustainability Award recognizes an organization or business that has demonstrated noteworthy sustainable practices and a commitment to conserving natural resources, protecting our environment, and contributing to the overall success of the New York State economy. The winner is determined by nominations from within the wine and grape industry, as well as related businesses and individuals.

"Hunt Country Vineyards sets the standard for what it means to be a sustainable winery operation in New York," says Filler.

"It's wonderful validation of many years of taking care of the land for future generations," says Art Hunt, co-founder and co-owner of Hunt Country Vineyards. 

"It's great to receive this recognition," says Suzanne Hunt, Art's younger daughter and an international consultant for clean technologies and sustainable farming, who is also helping to run the family business. "The fact that the New York Wine & Grape Foundation created this award shows real leadership. We're honored to be the first winery to receive it."

When Art and Joyce Hunt, his wife and business partner, took over the farm in the 1970s, they realized that they needed to do more to care for the land and their community. Hunt Country Vineyards has since become a regional leader in sustainability. The seventh generation family farm has a 350 solar panel array that provides the majority of the farm's electricity needs. Hunt Country was an early adopter of extensive geothermal heating and cooling, and installed a system which has replaced the conventional A/C and heating in the tasting room, winery and warehouses. Hunt Country is the only Finger Lakes winery to provide free EV charging stations to customers. Several acres of the vineyards have been certified organic and the winery plans to release its first wine made from organically-grown grapes in 2020. Soil health is a priority, and Hunt Country has doubled the soil organic matter in their vineyards over the past decade. The vineyards and farm are managed as a complete ecosystem, providing ample habitat for a diverse community of bees, birds and other wildlife.

"Every winery and farm can do it," says Art. "It's not all or nothing. You can work at it every year without it impacting your bottomline too much and gradually increase your profitability."

The award will be formally presented to Hunt Country Vineyards during the Unity Awards ceremony at the Foundation's B.E.V. NY Conference at the end of February.

Climate change could mean more pesticides in your wine? Not at Hunt Country

Climate change isn't just creating lower yields in vineyards, it's also making grapes more susceptible to pests and mildew. Many growers are using more pesticides to cope with increased pests. But Hunt Country Vineyards has gone the opposite route, reducing its pesticide use in favor of better soil management through mulching and composting.

Here's a great story by Irina Ivanova from CBS News about some of the impacts of climate change on the wine industry and how we're responding with sustainable farming practices here at Hunt Country.