Sustainable—Sustainable wine production focuses on environmental protection, economic viability, and social responsibility, especially through minimizing waste during the winemaking process. Sustainable wine vineyards utilize solar power, offer continuing education for employees, embrace a zero-waste goal, and provide workers with health care.

Sustainable wines, however, are marked by a variety of different certifications, due to the unique environmental and social needs in different winemaking regions. Wine Folly explains some of the most common designations:

Sustainability in Practice (SIP) regulated wines:

“SIP certification also adopts the three “E’s” of sustainability–economic viability, environmental stewardship, and social equity with a points system.A winery or vineyard needs 75% of the total possible sustainability points which also include a Prohibited Materials List (various pesticides). Beyond gaining points, vineyards and wineries must also create a sustainability plan which includes documentation, reporting, and examples of how that vineyard/winery is complying to SIP certification.“

Lodi Rules sustainable wines:

“One of the unique features of Certified Green with Lodi Rules is a pesticide assessment system that rates a vineyard’s pesticide use on everything from farm workers’ health to wildlife risk. Wineries and vineyards must also meet one of the three areas of sustainability laid out in CCSW: Environmental Soundness, Economical Feasibility and Social Equality. Finally, certified vineyards have to pass an annual independent audit to verify the certification.”

New Zealand Sustainable Wines:

_”Wineries and vineyards in New Zealand can expect an audit every 3 years for Sustainable Winegrowing NZ. This program focuses on a wide range of factors including crop biodiversity, soil, water and air standards, energy use, chemical use, vineyard and winery waste, social impact, and sustainable business practices.”

Celebrate Earth day with us today, and pick up a bottle of sustainable wine!