Many consumers want to buy sustainable wines but are not sure how to find them. SIP Certified shows that you use practices that protect the people and planet so your customers know that their wine was made with care.
We know your customers are looking for wines labeled as “sustainable”. In a recent systematic review of 30 studies, consumers reported a higher preference for ecolabel and social responsibility labels compared to nutrition labels. Achieving SIP Certified gives you third-party verification that your vineyard, winery, or wine has adopted and implemented stringent sustainable winemaking and wine growing standards.
“By putting our sustainability beliefs into practice, we have the ability to educate the consumer on why sustainability should be a decision-maker in their purchases. SIP Certified makes it easy for us to share this message as they are not only a trusted and credible program, they offer a variety of valuable resources for both the consumers and businesses alike” - Fintan Du Fresne, Chamisal Vineyards
“Being Certified Sustainable in the SIP program has really helped us tell the story of the Hope Family Vineyard, especially with distributors and customers who want to learn more about our vineyard practices” - Austin Hope, Hope Family Wines
SIP Certified is a rigorous sustainable vineyard, winery, and wine certification with strict, non-negotiable standards based on science and expert input, independent verification, transparency, and absence of conflict of interest. Certification addresses the 3 P’s of Sustainability – People, Planet, Prosperity – ensuring that both natural and human resources are protected. The rules, called Standards, require a measurable, holistic set of practices addressing habitat, water, energy, soil, recycling, air quality, packaging, pest management, social equity, and business management. Participants document dozens of requirements and implement sustainable practices. Practices are verified through independent records and on-site inspections and receive final approval from an independent advisory board.
SIP Certified evolved from the award-winning self-assessment (Positive Points System) developed by Vineyard Team which helped growers evaluate their sustainable practices on every level, from habitat to water, soil to human resources. After four years of intensive review by viticulture experts and experienced growers, SIP Certified launched its pilot program in 2008 with 3,700 acres of vines between Monterey and Santa Barbara counties. Today, there are over 46,000 vineyard acres in California, Oregon, and Michigan, five wineries, and more than 55 million bottles of wine that have been SIP Certified. Consumers around the world can now find a wide array of sustainably produced wines to fit their needs, budgets, and stylistic preferences.
SIP Certified is proud to stand with other environmental leaders working to preserve our natural and human resources.
Nathan Carlson fondly remembers when he was a child, his father sowed a field of wheat by hand, threshed the grain on a tarp, ground it up and the family eventually made bread from that harvest. It was one of the first times that Nathan came to appreciate
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Niner Wine Estates has systematically replaced and upgraded vineyards, expanded the winery’s sustainable farming and winemaking programs, and created a reserve line of wines to showcase incredible fruit from their three estate vineyards.
Read MoreA recent article in El Dorado News-Times by Richard Mason tells the story of Presqu'ile Winery, from its roots in the Murphy family's gathering place on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to its present estate home in the Santa Maria Valley.
"They are making sure the winery is a beacon of sustainability, which is integrated into everything at Presqu'ile, from the soil to the cellar. Their conservation efforts also ensure they continue to be good neighbors by protecting the community's natural resources for generations to come."
As a member of a SIP Certified wine club, you can receive two (2) complimentary tastings at any participating SIP Certified member tasting room during the entire month of February!
Read more to learn how to enter to win a prize!
Update your application a little each month to ease your workload come inspection season (March 15 - July 25th). This month, work on:
Chapter 2: Vineyard Acquisition
- Take pictures of your cover crops before they are removed
Chapter 10: Fruit Quality
- Are you getting the Baker Wine & Grape Analysis Discount?
Chapter 12: Continuing Education
- CE hours can be aggregated across the company.
- Earn CE hours at the Sustainable Ag Expo this November!
