The Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, also known as Sonoma County Winegrowers (SCW), has chalked out a three-phased program to be completed within the next five years to emerge as the nation’s first 100% sustainable wine region.
Under the first phase of the program, SCW will provide trainings and educational sessions focused on best management practices like land use, canopy management, energy efficiency, water quality assessments, and carbon emissions to winegrowers.
SCW will also collect the evaluated data of 15,000 vineyard acres annually over the next four years until every acre of planted vines are under assessment for sustainability.
As part of the second phase, the winegrowers will work with vineyard owners to achieve certification. After the start of winegrower program, focus will be expanded to work with wineries and winemakers to roll out sustainability assessments and certification.
SCW will also develop improvement plans to provide access to new production models, techniques and approaches after all of the county's vineyards and wineries are recognized as sustainable.
SCW president Karissa Kruse said, "Our county's grape growers and winemakers have long been at the forefront of creating and utilizing sustainable practices in the vineyard, in the winery and in running their businesses, so this is the next natural step in their continued evolution."
