Allison Jordan Executive Director

Agenda CA Sustainable Winegrowing Program background Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing Lessons Learned

Sustainable Winegrowing Growing and winemaking practices that are sensitive to the Environment, responsive to the needs and interests of society-at- large (social Equity), and Economically feasible to implement and maintain = 3 E’s or Triple Bottom Line “Future Generations”

What is Sustainable Winegrowing? Sustainable Winegrowing practices: conserve water and energy maintain healthy soil reduce pesticide use preserve wildlife habitat protect air and water quality recycle natural resources enhance relations with employees and neighbors attain highest wine quality possible

Sustainability is a Direction, Not a Destination Serves as compass for using resources more efficiently Wineries and vineyards determine how fast and how far they want to go A process of continuous improvement

Partnership between Wine Institute & California Association of Winegrape Growers (started in 2002) Comprehensive self-assessment workbook Partners with regional associations, government agencies, universities & NGOs Hosts educational workshops throughout CA Publicly reports on adoption of practices California Sustainable Winegrowing Program

Sustainable Winegrowing Workbook Topics 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

SWP Workbook Framework 227 Criteria with Four Categories of Practices

SWP Participation 2002-Present SWP Self-Assessment (200 workshops) –1,566 vineyard and winery organizations (1,851 individual participants) – >358K acres of winegrapes (68%) and 150 million cases of wine (62%) SWP Targeted Education (184 workshops) –9,240 attendees* (*some participants have attended more than one workshop)

Sustainability Reports

Launched in January 2010 Enables wineries and vineyards to communicate their commitment to: –environmental stewardship –conservation of natural resources –socially responsible business practices

Cycle of Continuous Improvement 3rd Party Verification of the Cycle

Certification Goals Maintain California’s global leadership position Provide voluntary third-party verification option Enhance transparency and credibility with key stakeholders including regulators, trade, environmental organizations, media and consumers Encourage statewide participation Advance entire California industry toward best practices

Certification Requirements Annual SWP Self-Assessment (S-A) Demonstrate accuracy of S-A during third-party audit Meet all 58 prerequisites by scoring a 2 or higher, or having an action plan in place to improve performance Determine significant impacts & prioritize areas for improvement Establish, implement & update Action Plans annually Demonstrate continuous improvement: Maintain or improve S-A scores

Certification Prerequisites 3 Levels of Stringency: Must score Category 2 or above (5 criteria) Must have action plan if score Category 1 with one-year timeline (39 criteria) Must have action plan if score Category 1 with no timeline (14 criteria)

Certificate for proof of certification (gatekeepers) CCSW Certification logo on company websites, promotional materials, and secondary packaging – accompanied by: –Claim statement E.g. “Acme Winery is Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing” List of certified wineries and vineyards on CSWA website and to share with media, trade and consumers Up-to-date certification information and guidelines on CSWA website to ensure transparency Communicating Certification

Related CSWA Projects Industry-Wide Sustainability Targets Identify performance-based metrics Collect relevant data from SWP participants Establish industry baselines Eventually set industry targets to measure and communicate industry-wide improvements CA Wine Community Sustainability Awards Develop competitive award program to acknowledge leaders in sustainable winegrowing Help communicate the sustainability story Develop relevant public relations campaign

Lessons Learned Allow time to get buy-in of industry and stakeholders Understand the goal of certification: buoy entire industry vs. recognize a few – will help you select type Know your audience Think about internal and external communications from the start Understand (and partner with?) similar programs

Questions?