Wineries Go Green- And Can Prove It

The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance launched the new Certified Sustainable Winery Program January 2010. According to this industry leader, fully 68% of California’s wine acres have been assessed for sustainability and virtually all have reported some level of progress in these programs from the last reporting period in 2004. There are different options on the market for wineries that are adaptable to this certification process and are able to quantify and communicate progress on established winery sustainability programs. The Sustainability Dashboard, by iReuse, tracks progress in three areas of environmental improvement- waste reduction, energy efficiency and water use. This tool graphically demonstrates in a format appropriate both for internal reports and external communication the financial and environmental impacts of programs already in place. In addition to reporting on the financial savings, information such as greenhouse gasses diverted, equivalency in cars taken off the road, trees planted, etc. is provided, making communication with stakeholders on the impact and validity of established programs more productive. This software is a generic tracking tool and is adaptable to various industries and certification programs, is user friendly. Another sustainability tracking tool on the market that is designed specifically for the wine industry, is Sure Harvest, which has a thoroughly comprehensive program that involves all areas of winery and vineyard management. The program is complex and difficult to navigate and has been the standard bearer in the California wine community since sustainability became a core part of the California wine community in 2002 with the release of the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices by the California Wine Institute. Whatever method they choose, in order for wineries to remain on the cutting edge of sustainability they need the tools to demonstrate the true validity and progress of their programs in clear, concise and indisputable terms.