VinTank, the wine industry’s leading think tank for managing marketing information, has recently added the option for wineries to identify their wines as SIP™ Certified sustainable.
Representing “Sustainability in Practice,” this rigorous third-party certification program was launched in 2008 as a way for farmers and wineries to verify their dedication to sustainable farming methods and be able to translate that commitment to consumers. The VinTank designation offers an influential new angle with which to leverage the marketing power of SIP Certification.
“As consumers become more sophisticated and conscientious about their wines we felt it was key that we helped wineries communicate their certifications and key differentiators to better inform the 9 million potential wine customers in our data network,” said Paul Mabray, CEO of VinTank. “We are pleased to include all this data to better inform wine consumers through digital means about the wines they choose.”
“Obviously, we’re very proud that VinTank has recognized our program as a trusted and verifiable symbol of certified sustainable farming,” noted Kris Beal, Executive Director of the Vineyard Team, the non-profit group which developed SIP Certification. “It certainly adds another important layer to the authenticity of SIP Certification.”
As of 2013, there are over 900,000 cases of wine bearing the SIP Certified seal. The comprehensive rules for certification address many interrelated elements of the whole farm system. Habitat conservation, energy efficiency, pest management, water conservation, economic stability, and human resources are some of the key elements of the program. The program looks at the farm in its entirety: the worker, soil fertility, cover crops, wildlife, native plants, irrigation, and more. In order to qualify for certification, growers must have their practices verified through in-depth records and on-site audits by accredited independent inspectors.