Sustainability – New York Wine & Grape Foundation

Tim Martinson Invested in the Future for All of Us

Kathleen Willcox and Robin Shreeves July 7, 2022

It’s easy to focus on the bad news. Climate change has made headlines in recent years like never before, perhaps due to the fact that so many of us are witnessing the real-life consequences of extreme weather on a daily basis. In recent months, we’ve learned that we’ve broken multiple global indicators of the climate crisis, with temperatures that humans cannot survive for extended periods registering in India and Pakistan.

New York Sustainable Winegrowing Vineyard Certification Pilot Program Successfully Concludes; Available Position and Next Steps Announced

New York Wine & Grape Foundation May 27, 2022

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

The State of Biodynamics in New York Wine

Valerie Kathawala May 23, 2022

(Edited May 31, 2022) In parts of the wine world, biodynamic viticulture has become the gold standard for farming grapes and achieving terroir expression in wine. In New York, that is not — yet — the case. Most growers across the state still regard biodynamics warily or dismiss it as irreconcilable with the region’s climate, structure, and labor constraints. Their apprehension may at first be difficult to understand. But getting

Pilot Program for Sustainable Vineyard Certification is a Success!

New York Wine & Grape Foundation May 13, 2022

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is thrilled to announce the successful completion of a pilot program for VineBalance sustainable vineyard certification. Participating grape growers from across New York State performed a vineyard self-assessment using the VineBalance 2022 workbook followed by a third-party inspection from a NYWGF Vineyard Inspector. Growers evaluated their vineyard sustainability against 144 action items addressing input reduction, soil health, water protection, resources and waste,

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Partners with Vineyard Inspectors for Sustainability Pilot Program

New York Wine & Grape Foundation March 8, 2022

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is pleased to announce a partnership with two Vineyard Inspectors for the Sustainability Pilot Program: Tim Martinson and Chris King. Tim Martinson’s wealth of knowledge and depth of perspective from leading the original VineBalance workbook project combined with his 9 years as an Area Extension Educator with the Finger Lakes Grape Program and 14 years as a Senior Extension Associate for the Statewide Viticulture

VineBalance 2022: Version 2 Released

New York Wine & Grape Foundation February 14, 2022

The NYWGF is pleased to announce the release of Version 2 of VineBalance 2022 as the latest edition of New York’s statewide code of sustainable winegrowing. “I am humbled by the generous the contributions of time and knowledge that the New York wine community have dedicated to Version 2 of VineBalance 2022” said Sustainability Program Manager, Whitney Beaman. Version 2 of VineBalance 2022 was reviewed, workshopped, and revised through a

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Seeks Sustainable Vineyard Inspector for Pilot Program

New York Wine & Grape Foundation January 14, 2022

In order to support the next phase of our Sustainability Program in 2022, NYWGF is developing a third-party certification for sustainably grown grapes and wine. The basis for this certification will be a grower self-assessment followed by third-party verification according to the latest edition of VineBalance, a workbook that addresses input reduction, soil health, water protection, energy conservation, resources and waste, ecosystem health, climate resiliency, continuous improvement, and social equity.

New York Wine & Grape Foundation Partners with Born Collective on Sustainability Marketing Plan

New York Wine & Grape Foundation December 14, 2021

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation (NYWGF) is pleased to announce a new partnership with Born Collective to develop a marketing plan for the emergent third-party certification for sustainably-grown grapes and wine in New York. Born Collective is a strategic branding agency with an affinity for storytelling and a fervor for audience experience. b+cause is the nonprofit arm of Born Collective, dedicated to providing outstanding, full-service marketing to organizations that exist to make our communities and our world better. “At Born Collective, sustainability

VineBalance 2022 Virtual Workshop Series Announced

New York Wine & Grape Foundation November 9, 2021

Join Chris Serra, a leading expert in sustainable winegrowing certification, as we workshop a selection of new objectives introduced in the VineBalance 2022 update. Growers are invited to practice scoring their vineyard operations anonymously and ask questions as we move through key action items in the Ecosystem Health, Climate Resiliency, and Social Equity chapters of the latest version of the VineBalance workbook. Ecosystem Health – Tuesday, November 30th from 4:00 to

NYWGF Releases VineBalance Update for Sustainability Pilot Program

New York Wine & Grape Foundation October 27, 2021

The NYWGF Sustainability Program is pleased to announce the release of a VineBalance 2022 update for New York’s sustainable winegrowing certification pilot program. The latest update expands upon the environmental risk assessment presented in the original VineBalance workbook to address the objectives of the NYWGF Grower Sustainability Advisory Committee: input reduction, soil health, water protection, energy conservation, resources and waste, ecosystem health, climate resiliency, continuous improvement, and social equity. This

NYWGF Sustainability Program Offers Soil Health Scholarships

New York Wine & Grape Foundation October 15, 2021

The NYWGF Sustainability Program is pleased to offer scholarships to the Advanced Soil Health Virtual Certificate Course offered by the Cornell University Soil Health Program. This online course will take place December 4th – 11th from 8am to 11:30am and will include live sessions with soil health experts on December 6th, 8th, and 10th. Harold van Es, Cornell University Professor of Soil and Water Management, and Joseph Amsili, Extension Associate for the Cornell Soil Health Program, will lead the course. Healthy soil is the foundation of a healthy vineyard. It is important to practice soil health management throughout the year to reduce erosion, improve infiltration, sequester carbon,

Community Solar Explained: What It Is and How It Works

Nelnet Renewable Energy September 27, 2021

What Is Community Solar?Community solar farms (also referred to as projects) are large, commercial-grade solar arrays shared by multiple community subscribers who receive credits on their electricity bills for their share of the power produced. Community solar farms offer residents, businesses, and municipalities an easy way to support clean, renewable energy AND save up to 10% on their monthly energy costs (with no change in utility provider). It’s easy, which

NYWGF Issues RFP for Sustainable Wine & Grape Certification Marketing Plan

New York Wine & Grape Foundation September 22, 2021

NYWGF is developing a third-party certification for sustainably grown grapes and wine. The basis for this certification will be the VineBalance Guide to Sustainable Viticulture, a grower self-assessment workbook codeveloped by the Cornell Cooperative Extension and Soil and Water Conservation Committee of the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets in 2007. This workbook is widely applied across the state, but it lacks a system of third-party verification and logo

Multi-State Partnership Advances Sustainability in the U.S. Wine Industry through Research, Education and Promotion

California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance September 15, 2021

Since 2018, wine industry organizations from the four states have been partnering to advance sustainability initiatives industry wide. By providing a definition and principles for the U.S. wine industry, conducting trade and consumer research, sharing information through two U.S. Sustainable Winegrowing Summits and providing education on the industry’s sustainability commitment to trade and consumers, the project has been effective in furthering the understanding of sustainable winegrowing.

Wine industry and key stakeholders join forces to define sustainability

New York Wine & Grape Foundation September 15, 2021

For the first time, more than 40 key actors in the production and marketing of wine around the world have joined forces to accelerate action as sustainability challenges mount. The newly formed Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) is a unique coalition of leading wine brands, small producers, distributors, retailers, environmental organisations, and others – all joined in their determination to make the wine sector a sustainability leader. From drought to flooding,

Future VineBalance Updates to Address Biodiversity and Social Equity

New York Wine & Grape Foundation August 20, 2021

The first layer of this analysis evaluates the broader categories of sustainability addressed by each program to identify what all programs have in common, where VineBalance exceeds other programs, and where it falls short in addressing certain priorities. The categories of sustainability that all three programs share are soil health, water conservation, and pest management. One area where VineBalance goes deeper that other programs is pesticide management. For example, VineBalance includes questions about the security of pesticide storage, certified applicator supervision, and the recyclability of pesticide containers. Key areas where VineBalance falls short include management strategies for biodiversity and worker health and safety.

photo of grape vine climbing against background of blue sky and clouds

NYWGF Announces Sustainability Program Mission Statement and Objectives

New York Wine & Grape Foundation August 19, 2021

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation is pleased to announce the release of a Mission Statement, Vision Statement and Objectives for our new statewide sustainability program. These guiding statements were collectively developed by our Grower Sustainability Advisory Committee and Sustainability Program Manager.

Chris Serra to Lead VineBalance Update

New York Wine & Grape Foundation July 15, 2021

This week marked the official start of our VineBalance update project, which was awarded to Chris Serra, Executive Director of LIVE. Chris is a great fit for this project with 14 years of experience leading an internationally recognized third-party certification in sustainable winegrowing for Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Chris consulted on the development of Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing (LISW) and has been instrumental in providing guidance on other certification efforts, including one for the Great Lakes.

Grower Survey Results and Sustainability Advisory Committee Nominations

Whitney Beaman June 21, 2021

This has been an exciting year for sustainable winegrowing in New York! The development of a statewide sustainable winegrowing certification program is finally under way. This program is the culmination of numerous of efforts by growers, extension agents, and industry associations over the past decade. We have now a reached a critical mass of consumer demand, industry support, and institutional backing to make it happen.

New York Wine and Grape Foundation to Update VineBalance for Statewide Sustainability Program

New York Wine & Grape Foundation June 10, 2021

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation is developing a third-party certification for sustainably farmed grapes and wine. The purpose of the RFP is to provide high level strategic and structural recommendations for certification design based on sustainability best practices, while balancing the small-scale and independent nature of New York’s wine industry. The ideal candidate will be experienced in East Coast climate and agriculture, viticulture and enology, international standards of sustainable winegrowing, and environmental certifications deployed by other agricultural industries. The VineBalance RFP is available here and responses are due by June 30, 2021.

hand with yellow painted finger nails, holding a glass of white wine, blurry vineyard in the background.

The Value-Added Argument for Sustainable Winegrowing in New York

Whitney Beaman April 22, 2021

The landscape of consumer goods has shifted seismically over the past two decades due to growing environmental awareness and desire for ethically produced products. The millennial generation, born between 1981 and 1996, lead the way. Millennials now make up the largest portion of the world’s population, presenting the greatest growth opportunity for the U.S. wine industry. In order to realize this growth, the wine business must inspire millennials and measure up to their generational values. In addition to an emphasis on climate change, this cohort is more health conscious, socially aware, and ethnically diverse than previous generations.

New York Wine and Grape Foundation Welcomes Renowned Climate Scientist Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel to Give Climate Change Presentation to East Coast Wine Community

New York Wine & Grape Foundation March 19, 2021

How is climate change affecting us today and over our lifetime? These are important questions for the wine and grape community to ask. Climate change has the potential to impact everyone in the wine supply chain from vineyard managers in the field to consumers enjoying a glass. Join us to learn the science behind climate change, discover the potential of climate-smart farming, and reflect on the importance of supporting sustainable winegrowers for future generations of New York wine.

The Potential and Practicality of Regenerative Winegrowing in New York Vineyards

Whitney Beaman February 24, 2021

The practical benefits of building soil organic carbon have been recognized by farmers for generations, though perhaps not for the purpose of combating climate change. Undisturbed soils, rich in ground cover, have higher organic matter, microbial biodiversity, and water infiltration, making them better suited to agriculture.

A Long History of Sustainability at Silver Thread Vineyard

Jennifer Cooper May 28, 2020

Silver Thread Vineyard was established in 1982 on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake, at the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region. At this location the bottom of the lake drops almost 200 feet below sea level, a dramatic mass of water that creates a distinct microclimate on the leeward (eastern) hillside — cooling breezes in summer, radiating warmth through the winter, and extending the length of the growing season.

Leading by Example: Sustainability & Biodynamics at Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard

Jennifer Cooper May 28, 2020

Attitudes, practices, and policies have been changing especially in the last decade with regards to sustainability. There is mounting concern for personal health, and environmental and social problems that the world is facing including sickness and disease, extinction of plant and animal species, depletion natural resources, global warming, etc.