Sue Luft

Being a winegrape grower is a second career for Sue Luft.  Sue spent thirty years as an environmental engineer, and moved from Bakersfield to San Luis Obispo County in 2004 to follow her longtime love for farming.  Sue and her husband, Karl, owned a consulting firm that specialized in air quality permitting, hazardous materials management, risk management and prevention programs, and environmental auditing.   

Sue's father raised dry land grain in Montana in his youth as he worked his way through college in agricultural engineering.  With her upbringing so closely tied to the land, Sue and Karl have lived their lives with a concern for the natural environment.  From Sue's participation in the Ecology Club in the 5th grade to the design of their strawbale home, from generating solar power to reducing runoff potential, Karl and Sue try to minimize their impacts.

The Lufts use sustainable vineyard practices for their 4 acres of Zinfandel vines grown amid the several acres of native oak woodland and seasonal stream on their property.  All of the vineyard work except harvesting is performed by Sue and Karl.  LUFT Vineyard has been certified as sustainable by CCVT’s Sustainability in Practice (SIP) program.

Sue serves as an environmental representative and Vice Chair of the San Luis Obispo County Water Resources Advisory Committee and as a director of the Upper Salinas - Las Tablas Resource Conservation District.  She actively participates with Central Coast Vineyard Team, the Native Tree Committee of SLO County, and the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin Advisory Committee.

Sue lives in the El Pomar area, east of Templeton and enjoys walking her German Shepherd dogs on the beach, making homemade wine, photographing wildlife and beautiful scenery, and camping in the travel trailer with her husband and dogs..