By Laurie Wachter
Allison Jordan is a forward-thinking leader and educator, a global influencer and, above all, a pragmatic optimist.
These are only a few of the attributes that describe her and the value she brings to the wine industry as executive director of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) and Wine Institute’s vice president of environmental affairs.
“I wear two hats,” Jordan explains, “but it’s really about us all working together to find best practices and receive credit for the incredible work our industry has done.”
Jordan also holds other titles that support her goal to help California’s wine industry farm grapes and make wine more sustainably. As chair of the Natural Resources & Environment Committee on the National Grape Research Alliance Board of Directors and a Sonoma State University adjunct professor in the Wine Business Executive MBA program, she educates industry professionals on sustainability and, increasingly, climate change. She recently returned from Portugal, where, at an international symposium on climate change in Mediterranean climates, she led a panel discussion on how regions and groups can help solve climate challenges.
California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) President Natalie Collins says, “Allison’s work in international markets has brought worldwide recognition to California’s sustainability program as a model for other regions.”
From thesis to reality
Jordan worked at the Resource Renewal Institute early in her career and was influenced by its founder, environmentalist Huey Johnson, to pursue public policy in sustainability.
“He served as a role model of what a big difference a person can make,” she says, “but also how to effect big change instead of fighting for each small win. That is, through public policy, business and government partnerships and the work of associations.”
She went on to earn an M.P.P. at the Goldman School of Public Policy, UC Berkeley and applied for a Wine Institute internship as part of the program.
“I interned with Wine Institute 22 years ago,” she recalls, “and did my master’s thesis on whether to turn the California Code of Sustainable Winegrowing into a certification program. When it turned into a full-time position, I was able to live out my thesis. I’ve just been so fortunate to be there at the very start to help build the [CSWA] organization.”
Sustainability and climate change
Collins notes, “In farming and agriculture, we have to look so far ahead. We always need to be 10 steps ahead.” Jordan is already working on plans to help prepare the wine industry for that future.
“There’s such a big overlap between sustainable winegrowing and climate change that it has inevitably become a focal point,” says Jordan. “We’ve done a lot to identify practices to reduce the greenhouse gas footprint and increase carbon sequestration. But, as extreme storm events, heat, wildfires and cyclical droughts increase, we’re focusing on understanding the impacts and how winegrowers can adapt and be more resilient.”
Currently, she is working on a best practices toolbox for dry farming that people can draw from based on their region and operations. Even those who can’t dry farm can benefit from the lessons learned to help with water conservation.
“Our approach has always been to create a toolbox instead of telling the industry what to do,” Jordan explains. “After all, we’re on this journey together.”
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Laurie Wachter
Laurie Wachter is a leader in consumer behavior and direct-to-consumer marketing analytics, having worked for consumer packaged goods companies such as Kraft Foods, PepsiCo, Catalina Marketing and IRI (now Circana). Based in Northern California’s wine country, she writes about innovation and the business of food, wine and beverages for a global client base.
