We are committed to minimizing our environmental footprint and are constantly evaluating ways to become a more responsible business. Some of the current policies we are proud of include the following.
Education
We educate the public about the benefits of sustainable agriculture and connect consumers to local, sustainable vineyards and wine producers. We are inspired by the Slow Food Movement, which aims to “elevate quality over quantity and believes that doing so depends on cultivating our sense of taste as well as rebuilding the relationships between producers and consumers that the industrialization of our food has destroyed” (from Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food.)
![unspecifiedqw santa barbara wine country](https://www.sustainablewinetours.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/1784/2018/09/unspecifiedqw.jpeg?resize=600%2C337.5&zoom=2)
![i-TJVq73P-X3 Santa Barbara vineyard](https://www.sustainablewinetours.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/1784/2018/09/i-TJVq73P-X3.jpg?resize=600%2C337.5&zoom=2)
Donation
We donate to local environmental organizations on a yearly basis, such as the Environmental Defense Center, Santa Barbara Channel Keeper, and ForestWatch.
Support
We support like-minded vendors, such as New Frontiers Natural Marketplace, which uses only the freshest and often local ingredients, containing no preservatives, additives, or artificial ingredients.
![Photo-Feb-13-2-32-18-PM lunch at vineyard](https://www.sustainablewinetours.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/1784/2018/09/Photo-Feb-13-2-32-18-PM.jpg?resize=600%2C337.5&zoom=2)
![SV-Tour-Tesla1 tesla driving through vineyard](https://www.sustainablewinetours.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/1784/2018/09/SV-Tour-Tesla1.jpg?resize=600%2C337.5&zoom=2)
Fuel Consumption Minimization
We have an all-electric Tesla Model X SUV as of 2016 for up to 5 people! Our larger group tour vehicle, a 9-passenger Mercedes Sprinter Van, gets 25 mpg running diesel. Plus, our other private tour vehicle, a diesel Mercedes GL320 CDI, is a high-efficiency vehicle for its size and class. We go out of our way to employ diesel engine vehicles for their decreased fuel consumption and cleaner burning engines compared to their gasoline-powered counterparts. In addition, we constantly strive to update our vehicles for resource efficiency as the market produces newer and better options.