The Greenest House in the World

Posted by Meryl Rosofsky on Jan 26, 2009 in Green Lifestyle

I’m in a cozy 1915 Craftsman in Rockridge, California. A house that, in the same auspicious week Obama won the Presidency, earned the title of Greenest House In The World. “For about 2 seconds,” says eco-visionary David Gottfried. He’s modest, and mindful that scores of homes are soon to follow the green trail they’ve blazed. David lives in the house with his wife Sara, and their beautiful girls Gemma and Maya. It’s a far cry from the sprawling flat Sara and I shared in med school, where the greenest thing was the Thai chicken curry we’d sometimes make to calm examination-eve nerves.

The Gottfrieds moved in just a few months ago, after a painstaking deep-green renovation that garnered this green gem of a house a record-breaking 106.5 points (out of a possible 136) under the “LEED for Homes” certification system. David helped pioneer the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System in 1993.

My friends’ goals for their renovation were simple, if characteristically ambitious. “We hoped to showcase how to green an old historic home and still achieve LEED Platinum, as well as downsize 50% for a family of four,” says David, the founder of the U.S. and World Green Building Councils and now CEO of Regenerative Ventures.

When I’d last visited Sara and David four years ago, they occupied a 2,600 square-foot home in Berkeley Hills, CA. They now live one town over, in the charming Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, in a home whose unassuming size (it’s all of 1,440 square feet) belies its style, drama, and comfort.

Knowing Sara, I’d expected nothing less. Back in medical school, when the rest of us were just trying not to look sleep-deprived, this Alaska native found time to cook and rock climb, and sported hip eyewear and clothes that would’ve made Sarah Palin jealous (with a brain that Palin could only dream about). Now, when she’s not busy running her cutting-edge integrative women’s health practice, teaching yoga, or shuttling her daughters to birthday parties, Dr. Gottfried scours the internet for environmentally-conscious design ideas and blogs about their eco-adventures in their new “old home.”

Sara’s flair is evident throughout the house: in the soothing hues of non-toxic Mythic paint adorning the walls, the peaceful bronze Buddhas presiding over the mud room, the iridescent abalone tiles studding the bathroom floors—“eco-bling,” as Sara calls it. And it’s David’s genius for green that brings their house within reach of their net-zero energy goal. Solar photovoltaic panels on the roof supply the electricity for their super-efficient Bosch kitchen appliances and elegant lighting throughout the home. The sun also fuels their water heater and stylish hydronic radiators. “Rainhogs” scored from last fall’s Slow Food Nation hoopla in San Francisco collect rainwater to fill the dual-flush toilet in the guest bathroom. Greywater from the sinks and shower is funneled to the native-species garden and raised vegetable bed outside.

For my first evening with Sara and David we toast their new home with a bottle of 2006 Madigan Cabernet Sauvignon from nearby Napa Valley. A great value at $16, the wine’s enough to convince David to abandon, for the evening, the strict no-sugar diet he and Sara have been following for some weeks (Sara’s more disciplined, though I can tell she’s tempted). The label depicts a fine castle, which we readily embrace as a metaphor for the green Gottfried abode. Though not certified organic, the Madigan winemakers hew to organic principles, avoiding pesticides and herbicides and watering their vines sparingly. Dark fruit, pepper, and wood notes combine in balanced harmony, and the tannins are soft and silky. The wine, like the house, may not be big, but it satisfies, honors the environment and hits all the right notes.

We dine that night on organic delicacies from Three Stone Hearth, the local “CSK,” or Community Supported Kitchen (only in California… but hopefully not for long). This inventive Berkeley-based cooperative sources local, seasonal products from ecologically-minded farmers and ranchers and turns them into delicious nutrient-rich gumbos, curries, pickles, salads, and stews. On this particular evening, we feast on chicken liver paté, Moroccan lemon chicken with olives and raisins, and quinoa with roasted orange cauliflower salad.  Yogurty Point Reyes blue cheese dressing adorns our wild mixed greens. Gone may be the days when busy Sara whips up a Thai green curry chicken on a whim, but clearly this inspiring role model now has her green, and eats it too.

For more information on the Gottfried Regenerative House, visit www.gottfriedhome.com and www.ecocraftsman.blogspot.com.

Does This Zin Make My Glass Look Fat?

Posted by Meryl Rosofsky on Mar 17, 2008 in Features

Some people have shoe fetishes. Others collect cars, cigars, or vintage posters. My weakness is wineglasses. Not gaudy or ornate, nothing colorful or fancy, not necessarily antique. Just good, well-made, crystal-clear stems.

It started one evening when a wine expert friend brought over a prized bottle of Shiraz for us to sample. I poured his cherished wine into my standard-issue mass market stemware. He was horrified. “A wine like this deserves the right glass! You need to build your collection.”

I was taken aback. I’d never paid much attention to my wineglasses, but now that their shortcomings had been pointed out, I became obsessed. Yes, the rim of the glass was a little thick. The bulbous shape of the bowl was awkward, and the glass had an indifferent feel. By my friend’s next visit, I resolved, I would have the perfect wineglass for whatever bottle he brought over.

Easier said than done. It’s no longer one type of glass for red and another for white. One can invest hundreds of dollars in a mass of high-priced stems, each designed for a specific grape varietal. I set out to learn whether those glass-grape pairings really make a difference when enjoying wine, and if so, which ones I need to own.

Riedel was the natural starting point for my research. Many swear by Riedel glasses, but curse their fragility—at $30 or more a stem, one false move while washing them could set you back as much as the bottle you just served. Why the Riedel mystique? In 1961 Claus Josef Riedel, a ninth-generation member of the glassmaking family, introduced the world’s first line of stemware shaped and sized to showcase the unique characteristics of different varietals. Today, his Sommeliers series, with its hand-blown beauty, is the gold standard.

Does the shape of the glass really affect the bouquet and taste of wine? The answer, most experts agree, is yes. Tim Kopec, award-winning wine director at New York City’s Veritas, says he became a believer after tasting Opus One (a Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine) in both Cabernet and Pinot Noir glasses. “The engineering is correct,” he says. “It works, and it makes a difference.”

We experimented with different wines one rainy night at Veritas. A 2002 California Calera Pinot Noir seemed richer in the Pinot glass; in the Cabernet/Bordeaux glass, it stayed fruity, pleasant but less nuanced. And a 1994 Pomerol (Merlot) that was floral in the Pinot glass showed off its tobacco and vegetal notes in the Cabernet glass; though Kopec actually preferred the Pinot glass for this wine, for bringing out its more “feminine” qualities.