PENN YAN NY, May 27, 2022 – The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) recently announced successful completion of the New York Sustainable Winegrowing Vineyard Certification pilot program. Thirty-five grape growers and wineries from across New York State completed a vineyard self-assessment using VineBalance 2022, and subsequently passed an independent verification process completed by a third-party vineyard inspector.  

Pilot program participants, and future grower or winery who successfully achieves certification, will be permitted to use the program’s Trust Mark in their marketing efforts. The Trust Mark will provide participants with a way to include a credible, visible sustainability claim on their product, making it easier for consumers to identify certified sustainable wines from New York. 

As founding Sustainability Manager Whitney Beaman departs NYWGF, she has ensured the program is in an excellent position for growth. NYWGF now has an exciting opportunity for a new Sustainability Program Manager to bring a mix of technical sustainability, vineyard management, and communications knowledge to the team. The Sustainability Manager will lead the program through the next phase of development including Trust Mark finalization, integration of sustainability messaging into NYWGF global marketing, coordination of VineBalance workbook updates, and facilitation of communication with wineries and growers statewide. 

For those interested in learning more about the open position, please click here. 

 
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About The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF)    

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation promotes the world-class image of New York grapes and wines from the state’s diverse regions to responsibly benefit farmers, producers and consumers through innovative marketing, research, communication, and advocacy. For more information about the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, please visit www.newyorkwines.org  

About The New York Sustainable Winegrowing Vineyard Certification Program 
The mission of the NYWGF Sustainable Winegrowing Vineyard Certification Program is to advance the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of New York’s wine and grape industry through regionally defined sustainability standards, third-party certification, grower education, and stakeholder engagement. The vision of the program is to elevate New York State as a world class wine and grape region that protects the environment, conserves natural resources, and improves the lives of our stakeholders.