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Simple.
Reality.
Water ManagementWine Quality
Where We Start…
Sustainable Winegrowing
The Code.
Water Management
A Grower & Vintner Alliance
Defining Sustainability• Viticulture• Soil Management• Vineyard Water Management• Pest Management• Wine Quality• Ecosystem Management • Energy Efficiency• Winery Water Conservation & Quality• Material Handling• Solid Waste Reduction & Management• Environmentally Preferred Purchasing• Human Resources• Neighbors & Communities• Air Quality
…in 400 pages
Sustainable Practices:Pest Management
Use of sheep for weed control
Nesting boxes attract beneficial birds that hunt vineyard pests
Regular monitoring for pests
Sustainable Practices:Water Management
Drip irrigation conserves water
Cover crops build soil health, provide beneficial insect habitat and improve water holding capacity
Regular monitoring of process water ponds assures water quality
Sustainable Practices:Energy Management
Tank insulation conserves energy
Solar energy Biofuels for tractors
Sustainable Practices:Waste Management
Barrel recyclingComposting
Cardboard recycling
Sustainable Practices:Human Resources
Employee development
Safety training
Peer-to-peer education
Sustainability is a Journey, Not a Destination
Continuous Improvement
Self-Assess
Interpret Performance
Develop Action Plans
Implement Change
Sustainable Winegrowing Workbook
191 Best Practices from the Ground to the Glass
Examples of Continuous Improvement
• Meet action plan objectives (e.g. reduce energy use by 10%)
• Improve performance within a category • Use new technology or practices to
enhance environmental or social benefits and/or lower cost
Targeted Education
• Workshops focused on specific topics– Water Quality and Conservation– Energy and Water Efficiency– Environmentally Preferred Purchasing– Integrated Pest Management– Etc.
• Check Workshop Calendar at www.sustainablewinegrowing.org
Widespread Participation in SWP2002-present
Self-Assessment: • 200+ self-assessment workshops• 1,800 vineyard and winery organizations • 72% of winegrape acreage (> 389,375 acres) • 74% of case production (>189 million cases of wine)• Goal of 80% by 2015
• Targeted Education: • 232+ best practices workshops• 10,737 attendees
Commitment to Transparency
www.sustainablewinegrowing.org
• Public Statewide Sustainability Repots
• Press Conferences & Press Releases
• 100’s of news articles & Interviews
• Videos on sustainable winegrowing available soon!
Launched in January 2010
Enables wineries and vineyards to communicate their commitment to:– environmental stewardship– conservation of natural resources– socially responsible business practices
Certification Goals
• Maintain California’s global leadership position and positive image as “green”
• Provide voluntary third-party verification• Increase transparency, enhance
credibility with key stakeholders• Encourage statewide participation• Advance entire California industry toward best
practices and continuous improvement
3rd Party Verification of the Cycle
Verification: The Details
A third-party auditor verifies that a winery or vineyard:
• Adopts practices based on code of 191 best practices
• Meets prerequisite criteria• Develops action plans• Demonstrates continuous
improvement
• Certificate for proof of certification• Certification sign for winery or vineyard• CCSW Certification logo on company websites,
promotional materials, and secondary packaging– No logo on bottle yet
• List of certified wineries and vineyards on CSWAwebsite and to share with media, trade and consumers
• Up-to-date certification information and guidelineson CSWA website to ensure transparency
Communicating Certification
Certified Wineries & Vineyards
As of January 2013:• Over 52 organizations have been CCSW-certified, including
56 winery facilities and 178 vineyards = 66,173 acres or 12.3% of 535,000 total statewide acres
For a list of the certified wineries and vineyards visit: http://www.sustainablewinegrowing.org/certifiedparticipants.php
Next Steps…
Performance Metrics Project • Measureable Outcomes• Quantifying impacts on
resources:– Water use?– Energy efficiency?– Fertilizer use?– GHG emissions?
• Which practices have the most impact?
• Visit the CSWA website to start using metrics! “If you can’t measure it,
you can’t manage it…”
