Eric Jensen, Founder of Booker Vineyard
Booker Vineyard is the maker of Booker wines and a pair of passion project wines: My Favorite Neighbor and Harvey & Harriet. The adored vineyard and winery, which focuses on organic and biodynamic practices, are located in Paso Robles on California’s Central Coast.
In what ways is your business considered eco-friendly? I started farming the estate vineyard with organic and biodynamic practices starting in 2006. Last year, we took the extra step of getting the vineyard CCOF certified, which is the gold standard. The winery is solar powered, which offsets the energy used to grow our grapes and make the wines. We never use adjuncts, concentrates and other crap—you’d be surprised how common these things are in the wine industry. We want to be as transparent as possible about what goes into our wines.
What inspired you to become an eco-minded entrepreneur? I was just disgusted with the fact that I was putting chemicals down in the earth. I literally stopped one day and said, “What am I doing? This is gross.” From there, it was easy. I never looked back; I never felt better. People get wrapped up in the idea that they’re pressured to do these things, instead of just understanding how much better they’ll feel being aware of what’s in these products and knowing they don’t want them in their body or soil. There’s nothing political about it.
For readers who want to be more eco-conscious in their everyday lives, what do you recommend? How about for those looking to launch a green business? You just quit making excuses. The path of least resistance always leads to mediocrity. It’s not hard to do the best and responsible thing for your own health and for the environment. You go, “If it has a skull-and-crossbones on it, why would I want to breathe it or eat it or support it?” If you want to launch a green business, then you already know what’s up. I’d just say remember to think about your company as its own ecosystem, and how you’re perceived as a leader within that ecosystem. You’re crazy if you don’t. At Booker, we want everyone here to feel like they work in a responsible place. We don’t make any decision without thinking about our whole team.
What are your long-term goals for Booker and its impact? I want to spin the clock back and not only be carbon neutral, but carbon negative. It’s just what I want to do; it’s important for me and my own peace of mind.