The SIP Certified seal can be used on the label for wines (both estate and purchased fruit) made with at least 85% certified fruit. Using the SIP Certified logo is an easy way for your customers to 
know that they are buying sustainable wines that give back to the land and community.
To get certified wines, wineries complete a short chain of custody inspection. The inspector will randomly select 20% of the applied for wines and contact the applicant for documentation. Wineries should schedule and complete inspections after final blend or bottling (for previously certified vintages with no label changes) and be sure to allow adequate lead time for the winery to incorporate the logo on the wine labels.
Once received from the inspector, inspection reports are blinded and then reviewed by the Certification Advisory Committee (CAC) to determine eligibility within five business days. You will be notified of SIP Certified eligibility within five business days of CAC vote. Final certification is granted upon payment of certification fees and submission of final bottling records 30 days after bottling.
Certification costs include direct payment to the third party inspector and licensing fees. Inspections are typically one to three hours at an hourly rate of $100 to $175 per hour. Licensing fees range from $0.07 to$0.16 per case.
If you are selling your fruit don’t forget to record that it is sustainable and tell your clients that they can certify their wines. Read more about the SIP Certified Wine process online or contact Beth Vukmanic Lopez, Program Manager at 805.466.2288, beth@vineyardteam.org.