Turning energy and water into wine [Infographic]

(LATimes) - To produce a quality bottle of wine requires many things, including substantial amounts of energy and water. For its second-annual Earth Day Report, Frei Brothers Reserve(R) is demonstrating how technology and conservation - from vine to bottling line - can help significantly reduce a winery’s energy and water footprint. This year’s updates include reducing total water usage at the winery by 5.4 million gallons, or enough H2O to supply 54 homes for an entire year. Total energy use at the Sonoma County winery was also cut by 3.23 percent in 2012, which is a savings of approximately 200,000 kilowatt hours of electricity. These latest developments join Frei Brothers’ growing list of eco-friendly practices, which include efforts like preserving an acre of land for every acre planted in grapes, or reducing the weight of bottles to save a half-million pounds of glass annually. At Frei Brothers Reserve, “sustainability” means taking a series of steps to consistently monitor and evaluate ways to preserve natural resources, while upholding the quality of the wine. This infographic showcases the latest strides in the winery’s sustainability journey to produce award-winning wine and take care of the environment along the way.