Our travels today took us to the Val d’Orcia, the lavish countryside of Tuscany, where we visited a winery and farm dedicated to being as sustainable as possible. The passion and commitment to being 110% sustainable were clear to us as soon as we started the tour of the facilities, and it is something that I hope I can remember as I continue to develop my engineering skills. A few of the techniques utilized that stood out to me were the solar tubes to provide light within the wine cellars, using a combination of mirrors and sunlight, the electronics-free air circulation process used in the barrels for fermentation and aging of the wine, and a “zero-kilometer” philosophy that guides the winery to use only local materials they themselves grow/raise. Nothing is wasted: old barrels become sunglasses frames or tables, and empty wine bottles become cups for guests. Throughout our experience at the farm, there was an obvious sense that sustainability wasn’t just a concept for them; they believed that they had a duty to the earth to not take its resources for granted, and that sense of responsibility and community was truly inspiring to see.
Solar Tubes provided lots of light to the underground of the winery despite the cloudy skies.
Swanson School of Engineering 