Learn How to Talk SIP with This Simple Framework
May 7
2025Tasting season is fast approaching! It’s time to get your hospitality staff prepared to welcome a range of guests from experienced enthusiasts to first-timers.
But how can you make it a tasting experience your guests won’t forget?
Most people rarely consider the complex agricultural processes behind their favorite products. Use this opportunity to offer something truly unique: insight into what makes your wine sustainable.
Cover the Basics
What is Sustainability?
Start broad. Is your guest familiar with agriculture? Do they know that there is a relationship between the farm and the larger ecosystem it lives in?
Sustainability means meeting the needs of today while ensuring that future generations can successfully meet theirs. We do this by caring for the 3 Ps: People, Planet, and Prosperity.
- People: Community involvement, charitable donations, continuing education, and safety programs.
- Planet: Habitat conservation plans, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), cover crops, and responsible irrigation management practices.
- Prosperity: Sales and marketing plans, budgets, succession plans, and legible inventory and production records.
What is SIP Certified?
Next, you can explain if your brand is part of a third-party verified sustainability program like SIP Certified®.
SIP Certified is a certification program for sustainable winegrowers and winemakers. It uses independent, third-party auditors to verify the brand’s practices and records to ensure they are meeting the program’s strict standards.
How to Talk SIP
Use This Simple Framework
It’s time to show how sustainability is specific and meaningful to your brand. This will help your guests understand what issues are important to your brand and what you’re doing about them.
Follow these 3 steps to create meaningful stories you can share with your guests all summer long:
- Grab your Sustainable Story worksheet
- Talk with your vineyard manager, winemaker, or general manager to find an example of each of the 7 values.
For example, attracting gopher-hunting barn owls with owl boxes in the vineyard is an example of Safe Pest Management. - Pick one value to focus on each week and share your story with your guests.
The 7 Values
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Get Inspired
Creative irrigation solutions, adorable lawn mowers, safety solutions, and more – get inspired by this year’s Sustainable Stories.
Take it Further… Take the Course
Training your staff to talk about your brand's value of sustainability is just as important as training them to talk about your wine selection.
This online course is a simple yet powerful free tool to teach your team about:
- Sustainability in the wine industry.
- The SIP Certified program.
- How to tell your Sustainable Story.