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Electric Car Chargers Installed at Hunt Country Vineyards on Keuka Lake

Jul 20th, 2018

Hunt Country is the First Winery to Install
Electric Vehicle Chargers

Branchport, NY – July 19, 2018

The Hunt family has just installed five electric vehicle chargers in their parking lot at Hunt Country Vineyards on Keuka Lake, which makes them the first winery in the Finger Lakes to provide charging stations to their customers.

The Hunts have installed four Tesla chargers and one universal charger, which can be used for
other types of vehicles like the Chevy Volt and Bolt, the Nissan Leaf and the BMW i3. All five
chargers were acquired through a program at Tesla: the company provides the chargers for
free and pays for the installation, while the recipient business arranges and oversees the
installation.

"And now we can provide free power to our customers with EVs," says Hunt. "We've already
planned for the installation of additional universal chargers as more and more people come to
the winery in electric vehicles."
According to several searches for EV charging stations in the Finger Lakes, Hunt Country Vineyards is the
only winery on Keuka, Seneca and Cayuga lakes to have charging stations available to their customers.

"Sustainability is an evolution," says Suzanne Hunt, director of strategic development at Hunt
Country Vineyards and a global consultant on renewable energy. "The EV chargers are just one
more thing we can do as a business to help accelerate the transition to clean, locally-produced
power.”

In 2015, the Hunts installed a 348-panel solar system that provides most of the electricity used
by the farm and winery. As a result, Hunt Country Vineyards and three other collaborating
Finger Lakes wineries collectively received the national Solar Champion Award from the Solar
Energy Industries Association for their leadership in helping the region transition to solar
energy use.

According to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
transportation currently accounts for 40 percent of the state's greenhouse gas pollution that
contributes to a changing climate. Conventional cars and trucks also generate pollutants that
directly affect human health, including carbon monoxide, particulate matter, hydrocarbons,
nitrogen oxides and other toxins.

Electric vehicles, of course, don’t produce any of these emissions. And even though electricity
generated by burning fossil fuels is often used to charge EVs, the Union of Concerned
Scientists has determined that it's still four times cleaner to drive an electric car than the
average conventional car.

"Electric vehicles are the only vehicles that get cleaner over time, as our grid gets cleaner,"
says Hunt. "The faster we transition to renewables, the faster we eliminate the harmful
emissions."

EVs also incur dramatically lower lifetime costs to their owners due to reduced (or non-existent)
fuel costs and lower maintenance costs. A typical internal combustion engine has over 300
parts whereas an electric motor has fewer than ten, significantly reducing the number of things
that can break or require replacing.

"Driving an EV not only keeps the air cleaner but also keeps more money in your pocket," says
Hunt.

The Hunt family has been farming west of Keuka Lake in New York’s Finger Lakes region for seven generations. In 1981 we started crafting wine. We are committed to responsible farming and caring for the land that has given us so much. We have reduced our fossil fuel use by installing award-winning solar and geothermal systems. We’re improving soil health through the use of mulch and compost. And we’re increasing habitat for bees, birds and other wildlife all around the farm. Because to make great wines, you need clean air, clean water and healthy soil.

4021 Italy Hill Road Ÿ Branchport, NY 14418 Ÿ 800.946.3289 Ÿ www.HuntWines.com

MEDIA REQUESTS: Contact Matt Kelly, director of media and communications at Hunt Country
Vineyards, matt@huntwines.com or 315-595-2812.

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