SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA — Sonoma County and its partner GMR Marketing won a sustainability award for its Super Bowl City activation for best use materials, food, and staff sourced within 60 miles.

The award, “Best Use of Local Resources,” was oneof the Super Bowl City Net Positive Production Awards given to activations that embraced the guidelines set out by the Super Bowl 50 host committee. The committee set out to inspire everyone involved in to help make Super Bowl 50 the most sustainable ever.

Sonoma County Tourism, Sonoma County Vintners, and Sonoma County Winegrowers partnered with the team at GMR Marketing to bring the Taste of Sonoma Lounge to Super Bowl City. Wines, volunteers, and the materials to build the activation were mainly sourced from Sonoma County and the Bay Area.

“We are honored by this award,” said Karissa Kruse, president of Sonoma County Winegrowers. “We appreciate the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee's commitment to deliver the Super Bowl festivities as a Net Positive event – environmentally, socially, and economically – as it advances our goal to be the first wine region in the country to become 100 percent sustainable by 2019.”

Ken Fischang, Sonoma County Tourism president/CEO, said this award means a lot to the trio of Sonoma County organizations. “We have a strong commitment in building a sustainable community. We are truly honored by this recognition of our efforts.”

Philip Patterson, senior vice president of client management at GMR Marketing, said, "GMR's mission was to help Sonoma County bring its beauty, flavor, and dedication to sustainability to life within Super Bowl City. We not only relied on the vibrant spirit of the region, but the talent and dedication of all of the local resources that made it happen from end-to-end. We'd like to congratulate our friends at Sonoma County on the award and a successful Super Bowl weekend to come."

After Super Bowl City closes for good, the furniture and infrastructure of the Taste of Sonoma will be repurposed. Furniture will be used in the offices for Tourism, Vintners, and Winegrowers. Barrels will be recycled and reused as décor, planters, or turned into furniture.

Volunteers helped reduce their carbon footprint and ease the congestion on Bay Area roads by taking mass transit. All tasting notes for the wines poured each day were offered electronically. No paper handouts were produced.

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Sonoma County, California, located just 30 miles north of San Francisco, offers world-class wines from more than 425 wineries in 17 designated wine regions, cuisine featuring locally grown and artisan products, and destination resorts including 40 spas and 21 golf courses. It is the birthplace of premium California wine more than 150 years ago and home to approximately 60,000 acres planted to vines. Family heritage, community and dedication to the land are what make Sonoma County a friendly first-rate wine and food destination.

Photo editors: For high-resolution photos and more 50 clips of high-definition B-roll of Sonoma County, see www.sonomacounty.com/media/media-photo-request.