Wine Industry Report

The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA), established by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG), recently unveiled its 2006 Progress Report indicating a 24 percent increase since 2004 in the number of California wineries and vineyard businesses working to adopt practices that are sensitive to the environment and society at large. Industry leaders presented the results at a press event held at Fort Mason in San Francisco, attended by the media, government officials, members of the wine community from throughout the state and other key stakeholders.

The report indicated that 1,165 vineyard and winery enterprises in the
CSWA program have evaluated their sustainable practices for 33 percent of
California’s 522,000 total winegrape acres, and 53 percent of the state’s
total annual wine production of 273 million cases. More specifically,
winegrowers increased their performance for 31 of 38 pest management
criteria by nearly 8 percent.

“The California wine industry has embraced sustainable winegrowing
because it is comprised predominantly of families and businesses committed
to the land and their local communities. Their passion for making the
finest quality wine is tied directly to the state’s climate and soil which
are ideal for wine. Preserving valuable natural resources and being a good
neighbor are part of the legacy that they are passing on to future
generations,” said Robert P. (Bobby) Koch, President and CEO of Wine
Institute.

“The widespread participation of the wine community in this program has
been impressive and continues this industry’s unprecedented work in
measuring its sustainability and documenting its progress publicly,” said
Karen Ross, President of the California Association of Winegrape Growers.
“The California wine community’s environmental commitment also contributes
to the state’s appeal as a great place to live, work and visit, and
resonates with consumers who desire high quality wines produced in a
sustainable manner.”

Wine Institute and CAWG launched the California Sustainable Winegrowing
Program in 2002 to help the state earn a reputation as the world leader in
the adoption of sustainable winegrowing practices. The two groups created
CSWA to implement the program with the goals of promoting environmental
stewardship and social responsibility in the state’s wine community. Since
the program’s launch, CSWA has held 188 educational workshops statewide,
according to CSWA Managing Director Ann Thrupp.

Integrated Pest Management Improvements
Pest management performance was measured and documented in the 2004
Sustainability Report, and then measured again after CSWA conducted 75
educational workshops throughout California focusing on this area.
Performance improved for 31 of the 38 pest management criteria by nearly 8
percent. But greater increases were indicated for several practices
including: use of reduced-risk pesticides, up 18%; employee training, up
16%; predatory mite releases, up 44%; and weed monitoring, up 22%.
Grants from the American Farmland Trust helped support the wine
industry’s effort to increase statewide winegrower performance in pest
management.

Second Edition Released with New Air Quality Chapter
The centerpiece of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Program is
the best management practices self-assessment workbook, of which the second edition is now being released. Growers and vintners assess and report their viticultural and wine production practices, using 14 workbook chapters of
227 types of sustainable practices from the ground to the glass. The
program provides participants confidential, customized reports to compare
their practices with regional and statewide results to identify strengths
and opportunities for improvement.
The most significant addition to the second edition is a new Air
Quality Chapter, developed with the guidance of a vintner-grower committee
of 50 experts as well as external reviewers. The new chapter was created
with matching funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural
Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The grant was also used to hold
workshops and establish air and water quality demonstration sites in more
than 10 vineyards throughout California to showcase innovative technologies
and practices.
“The California Sustainable Winegrowing Program brings growers and
technical advisors together to recognize sustainable farming practices and
to identify collaborative approaches to further conserve and protect
natural resources. The winegrowing industry should be commended for taking
the lead to find solutions that protect the environment while rewarding
quality wine production,” said Daniel Mountjoy, Assistant State
Conservationist for Field Operations for NRCS.
Online Edition Available for Web-Based Self-Assessment and Reporting
An additional element to the program is a newly revised web site at
http://www.sustainablewinegrowing.org , which features an online edition of the workbook where participants can self-assess their sustainability and
receive reports on their individual results. The new online system allows
participants to link to other web-based resources and develop and save
action plans for improving practices.
“As farmers and landowners, we love the land and are ever mindful of
environmental impacts. Exhausted soils and misuse of the land and waters
contribute to less productive vineyards. Environmental stewardship comes
naturally because it makes sense for our business, for our family and for
our community,” said Randy Lange, CSWA Board Chairman and co-founder of
LangeTwins Wine Estates.
“The California Sustainable Winegrowing Program shows the wine
community and others that environmentally sensitive practices make good
business sense in ways that go well beyond the bottom line,” said Paul
Dolan, Wine Institute Board Chairman and Partner of Mendocino Wine Company.
Members of Wine Institute and CAWG are the primary funders of the
California Sustainable Winegrowing Program, with support coming not only
from American Farmland Trust and NRCS, but also the California Department
of Food and Agriculture, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and the National
Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
In addition to the Sustainable Winegrowing Progress Report, the Fort
Mason press event presented a report entitled the “Economic Impact of
California Wine 2006.” Wine Institute and CAWG developed the report to
provide an understanding of the industry’s contributions to the California
and U.S. economies for use in public policy discussions with state and
federal legislators and other key officials.
The California Association of Winegrape Growers was founded in 1974
with the mission to provide industry leadership to advocate public
policies, research and education programs and trade positions that enhance
the business of growing California winegrapes. CAWG’s membership represents
the growers of approximately 60 percent of the total annual grape crush.
The Wine Institute is the association of more than 1000 California
wineries and affiliated businesses dedicated to initiating and advocating
state, federal and international public policy to enhance the environment
for the responsible consumption and enjoyment of wine. Wine Institute’s
membership accounts for about 95 percent of California’s wine production
and 85 percent of U.S. wine.

http://www.wineinstitute.org