Technology

GET IN GEAR Choose green technology to reduce your environmental impact. BY JACK GUY

BOTANIUM SMART GROWERS Indoor gardening is a great way to grow your own food, improve air quality and add a touch of natural beauty to your living space. Botanium takes the hassle out of the process thanks to a smart hydroponic system that works without soil and is impossible to overwater, a great feature for those not blessed with green thumbs. You can even leave it alone for weeks while you travel, as it takes care of the plant for you. The growers work with a number of herbs and lettuce, vegetables such as tomatoes and chili peppers, and even orchids. Botanium also sells nutrient pipettes to give your indoor garden a health boost in order to grow more of your chosen produce. From $73. botanium.se

VOLTBIKE BRAVO Get some exercise and cut your carbon footprint by getting around on an electric bike rather than in your car. Volt makes a variety of models aimed at people with different needs, but the Bravo is the best all-rounder. Sporty enough to eat up the asphalt but sturdy enough for off-road trails, it’s a top choice as a first electric bike. One charge should get you around 35 miles in range, and the bike can reach a top speed of 20 mph. $1,699. voltbike.com SONY DIGITAL PAPER Cut down on your paper consumption with this digital notepad. The device works with a stylus that lets you make digital notes and save them to the Digital Paper app. You can also annotate, erase and highlight PDF files, perfect for those who want to work on a project free from the distractions of being online. Easily share files between devices using the app and leave your laptop at home thanks to 16GB internal storage. Choose between the 10.3-inch and 13.3-inch screen sizes, depending on your needs. From $499.99. sony.com

ECOBEE SMARTTHERMOSTAT Connected home devices are becoming increasingly common, but none boast the green credentials of a smart thermostat. Ecobee recently upgraded its range with eco+ software that automatically optimizes your central heating for efficiency and cost savings. Voice activation and a simple app make for easy operation, plus it connects to air conditioners, dehumidifiers and other devices for greater accuracy in maintaining temperatures throughout your home. $249. ecobee.com

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Overall Best Frequent-Flyer Program __________________________________________ Elite-Level Program_____________________________________________________________ Bonus Promotion ______________________________________________________________ Award Redemption _____________________________________________________________ Customer Service ______________________________________________________________

BEST AIRLINE BY LOCATION Best Airline in . . . Africa____________________________________________________________________________ Australia and New Zealand_____________________________________________________ Central/South Asia and India _________________________________________________ China ___________________________________________________________________________ Eastern Europe_________________________________________________________________ Europe__________________________________________________________________________ Mexico __________________________________________________________________________ The Middle East ________________________________________________________________ North America __________________________________________________________________ North Asia (excluding China) ___________________________________________________ The South Pacific _______________________________________________________________ To South America and Central America ____________________________________________ To Japan _____________________________________________________________________________ Trans-Atlantic Airline ________________________________________________________________ Trans-Pacific Airline _________________________________________________________________

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HOTEL BEST BY LOCATION Best Hotel in . . . Asia ___________________________________________________________________________ Europe________________________________________________________________________ South Korea __________________________________________________________________ The Middle East ______________________________________________________________ The United States ____________________________________________________________ Best Hotel Chain in . . . Asia ___________________________________________________________________________ Europe________________________________________________________________________ Latin America _________________________________________________________________ Mexico ________________________________________________________________________ The Middle East ______________________________________________________________

OTHER BEST Overseas Delivery Program ______________________________________________________ Rental Car Company ______________________________________________________________ Tourism Destination ______________________________________________________________ MICE City __________________________________________________________________________ (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions) WiFi Service________________________________________________________________________ Luggage Brand ____________________________________________________________________ Hotel App__________________________________________________________________________ Airline App_________________________________________________________________________ Best Small- to Mid-Sized Business Program _____________________________________

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PLEASE MAIL THE COMPLETED SURVEY TO: Kevin Ryan, Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP, 1800 JFK Blvd., 20th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19103 | Or FAX to 215 545 4810 Or vote online at globaltravelerusa.com/gt-tested-awards-ballot

WHAT’S IN A WORD?

Decipher the vocabulary of eco-friendly methods of grape growing. BY EUNICE FRIED

Charles Krug founded California’s first commercial winery in Napa Valley in 1861.

THE LABELS ON SOME OF TODAY’S wine bottles sport a relatively new vocabulary, one that explains how the grapes were grown and made into wine. They include such terms as sustainable, organic and biodynamic, among others, and they warrant some explanation. Were the grapes grown by sustainable farming? Were they sprayed with organic fertilizers? Is the wine biodynamic? A number of the terms are new to many consum ers. Some are controlled by the U.S. government; others are not. For simple definitions of this relatively new vocabulary, consider the following.

Sustainable grape farming focuses on producing grapes that have minimal effects on the environment and are ecologically sound.

Organic farming involves growing grapes without using synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. It depends instead on ecologically based pest controls and fertilizers. The term “organic” is regulated by the U.S. government.

Biodynamic farming begins as organic farming does and uses no synthetic chemicals. From there, it also considers a vineyard as a complete ecosystem and includes lunar and astrological terms. Unlike organic, “biodynamic” is not a term regulated by the government.

How do you know if a wine is organic, biodynamic or otherwise “different”? Since all of these practices take a great deal more effort and time, more than likely it will say so on the label. Or you can find that information on the winery’s website.

California’s Frey Vineyards, a third-generation, family-owned winery in Mendocino County, takes pride in being the state’s first organic and biodynamic winery. California boasts many other wineries that are organic or biodynamic, or both, among them

MacRostie Winery & Vineyards, Chappellet, Spottswoode, J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Peju Winery, Acumen, Sea Smoke and Frog’s Leap.

Does a biodynamic wine taste different? Does it offer a different sensation and leave a different memory? No written description can give you an answer. Only a taste will do that. And since about 90 percent of American-made wine comes from California and three out of every five bottles of wine sold in the United States come from California, there is a good chance almost all of us wine drinkers have had organic and biodynamic wines — and gone back for more.

THE GOOD EARTH: J. Lohr Carol’s Vineyard, St. Helena (top), and CCOF sign on Spottswoode gate (bottom)

PHOTOS: © J. LOHR CAROL, © SPOTTSWOODE