If one of your resolutions is to ramp up your sustainability messaging, let the SIP Certified Marketing Tips serve as inspiration.

Stay tuned for actionable tips, relevant statistics, and inspiring stories from other sustainable wine brands so you can become fluent in sustainability and learn how to share your message all year long.

There are two ways to get the Marketing Tips:

1. Email newsletter
2. Marketing Tip Mondays (MTM) micro-episodes on the Sustainable Winegrowing Podcast

All of the MTM podcast episodes can be found on our website or on your podcast streaming platform – just search for “Sustainable Winegrowing.”

The articles, complete with links and visuals, can be found in the Marketing Tips section of the Info Hub on SIPcertified.org.

Wondering what the hottest tips last year were? We combined statistics from our 2024 podcast downloads and web page visits to bring you a list of the top 5 Marketing Tips of 2024.
 

Top 5 Marketing Tips of 2024

#5 – Ep. 230: Sustainable and Organic… What’s the Difference?

Top downloaded MTM Episode!

Have you ever wondered, “What’s the difference between organic and sustainable?”

Have you seen farming operations that have both certifications?

Well, there’s a lot of overlap between the programs!

Learn the difference when you read the Tip here or search for episode 230 to listen to it in under 4 minutes.
 

#4 – Ep. 228: Viticulture with a Vision: Oso Libre’s Dedication to Social Responsibility

Oso Libre’s founders, Chris and Linda, started the Por Vida Foundation in 2011 to support causes that are near and dear to their hearts.

By using funding streams from multiple winery activities, Oso Libre and their guests are giving back to these deserving causes, too!

You can find their short Sustainable Story on our website, or their extended story we wrote for the Dec. 2024/Jan. 2025 issue of Grape & Wine Magazine, Blending Wine and Philanthropy at Rancho Oso Libre: The Social Impact of Sustainable Wine.

Or, listen to episode 228 to hear their story in 2 and a half minutes.
 

#3 – Ep. 236: Safely Keeping Birds at Bay – Presqu’ile Vineyards’ Sustainable Story

Birds like finches and starlings are common vineyard pests. They damage fruit and canopies, and will even create nests in the vines.

To protect their crops, vineyards typically use bird netting. While effective, netting comes with un-sustainable downsides: they break down in the sun, installation and removal necessitates a lot of labor, and they create waste over time, as nets must be replaced every few years.

Presqu’ile Vineyard knew there was a more sustainable way to handle their unwelcomed feathered visitors.

Listen to their Sustainable Story in 3 minutes, or read it here.
 

#2 – Ep. 220: How to Talk SIP with 6 Wine Consumer Segments

Every wine enthusiast has different preferences, behaviors, and levels of investment in their pursuit of great wine.

A few years ago, Wine Intelligence identified six distinct consumer segments in the US market.

We saw this and wondered, “how can we tailor a message of sustainability to align with these differences?”

Revisiting this 2020 Tip was a hit! Learn how to tailor your message when you read or listen to it in 3 minutes on episode 220.
 

#1 - Ep. 240: Stacking Energy Savings at Niner Wine Estates

Top Tip Viewed on the Web!

Electricity use in the winery accounts for a large proportion of the end-product’s energy demand. From keeping buildings and tanks at proper temperatures to powering equipment and lighting, energy use in a winery adds up quickly.

Niner Wine Estates anticipated and adapted to increased demand and cost. Their efforts have even earned the business two symbols of sustainability achievement: SIP Certified and LEED-Certified, level Silver.

Want to know how they did it? Read their Sustainable Story or find episode 240 for inspiration in under 4 minutes.
 

ReSIProcal February Starts on Saturday!

ReSIProcal February is a month-long event that connects sustainably-minded brands and wine enthusiasts through reciprocal club tastings.

When a tasting room joins, they offer their wine club complimentary tastings at any other participating location. This gives wine enthusiasts the opportunity to try new sustainable wines, and brands get a welcomed increase in tasting traffic.

Any tasting room that pours wine made from SIP Certified grapes can join! To see a full list of participating locations, visit sipcertified.org/resiprocal2025.

 

 

P.S. you may have noticed that 3 of the top 5 tips were Sustainable Stories! Do you have a story to share? Email whitney@vineyardteam.org if you have a SIP Certified Vineyard or Winery with a story that fulfills one of the program’s 7 Values.