More than 300 people from 10 different countries and several states across the U.S. recently convened in Lodi, California to share learnings about climate-beneficial practices and discuss cutting-edge sustainability initiatives at vineyards and wineries. MSEM student Olivia Regalia, who’s wrapping up her first year in the program, played a leadership role in putting together the event – the U.S. Sustainable Winegrowing Summit. The two-day summit included: a tour of a sustainable vineyard and winery, giving attendees an inside look at the operations; a tasting of several different sustainable wines; and a full day of conference sessions addressing topics such as climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, sustainable supply chain opportunities, and approaches to bringing sustainability to life across the customer and employee experiences.
We recently sat down with Olivia to learn more about the conference, her work, and her MSEM experience.
Tell us about your job and how this conference fits in.
Olivia: I’m the Environmental Affairs Coordinator for the Wine Institute, which is a public policy organization representing the California wine industry, and I work closely with the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA), which the Wine Institute created in partnership with the California Association of Winegrape Growers.
I’ve been with the organization for almost two years now, and one of the things I appreciate about my job is the opportunity to work on a lot of different things. I work closely with environmental health and safety (EH&S) leaders from across member wineries. I help vineyards and wineries navigate the process of becoming Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW), which includes third-party verification of sustainability practices and is all about producing quality wine grapes and wine while protecting the environment, people and businesses. And I create a lot of content, resources, and opportunities – including planning events such as this year’s U.S. Sustainable Winegrowing Summit, which takes place every other year in a different location.
What were some of the highlights of this year’s Summit?
Olivia: It’s really energizing to get so many people focused on improving sustainability across the wine value chain together. They’re learning from each other. They’re charting the course to the future. We’re able to facilitate these conversations and bring in experts from across different aspects of the industry to demonstrate what’s working and prompt new thinking.
One interesting topic at this year’s summit was the evolution of consumer interest in sustainably grown wine. More people are paying attention to how the wine they drink is grown and packaged – especially among younger generations of wine drinkers that so many companies are trying to attract today. Closely related to this is the topic of communication and better storytelling around sustainability – what matters, why it matters, how we’re making changes that benefit people and our planet alike.
There’s also a growing focus on social sustainability within the wine industry. Stakeholders are increasingly interested in worker health and safety, diverse and inclusive workplaces, hospitality, and marketing. There’s a big and important opportunity here, and I really enjoyed hearing about what some companies and organizations are doing to address it.
And, of course, we spent a lot of time talking about the effects of climate change and extreme weather. Dr. Steve Ostoja, director of the California Climate Hub, shared an overview of the latest science on climate change impacts related to viticulture and insights into what actions winegrape growers can take to adapt and prepare. He then facilitated a discussion with academic and industry leaders focused on prioritizing climate-smart practices and implementation strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The good news is there’s a lot we can do to mitigate impact, and the wine industry – especially in California – can play an important role in evolving agriculture practices, packaging norms, transportation approaches, and more.
What have been some interesting points of intersection between what you’re learning as an MSEM student and what you do for work?
Olivia: My MSEM courses have really strengthened my scientific understanding of the “why” behind key concepts that are core to sustainable grape growing and wine making – such as cover cropping, biosequestration, and wastewater treatment. This additional knowledge and context has helped me gain confidence in discussing these topics at work.
Do you have advice for incoming or prospective MSEM students about juggling the demands of work and school?
Olivia: Plan ahead – always be looking several weeks out. Each term seems to fly by. As soon as the syllabus becomes available, I put all the assignment due dates in my calendar and set reminders one week, two days, and one day before those due dates – so I’m never surprised by a deadline and can budget my time appropriately.
The MSEM program is designed for working professionals, and the professors are really supportive. If you foresee a scheduling conflict of some sort, talk to your instructor about it. Again, it’s about planning ahead.
Finally, what great wine recommendations do you have for us?It depends what you like! The great thing is that whatever your preferences, there’s a California Certified Sustainable wine to suit. Check out www.californiasustainablewine.com to search and filter by varietal, appellation, region and more.
