The New York Sustainable Winegrowing program is excited to announce that applications are now open for the Vineyard Certification process.
Following the success of welcoming 19 new Certified Vineyards last year, the program is now open to all wineries and vineyards in New York. The NYWGF Sustainable Winegrowing program provides a pathway to voluntary third-party certification that verifies vineyards are using the best practices to ensure environmental, social, and economic sustainability of New York Wine.
“New York viticulturalists have always excelled at looking toward the future not only of their farms but the industry as a whole. The New York Sustainable Winegrowing program provides participants with the tools to ensure the long-term sustainability of their farm and a framework through which to communicate their responsible production with wine lovers globally. looking forward we aim to make sustainability synonymous with NY wine so that both trade and consumers can easily identify a bottle that is good for the planet, people, and their palate,” said Justin Jackson, New York Wine & Grape Foundation’s Sustainability Program Manager.
Certification is based on regionally defined sustainability standards compiled in the annually reviewed VineBalance workbook. This workbook consists of 144 action items addressing input reduction, soil health, water protection, resources and waste, energy conservation, ecosystem health, climate resiliency, continuous improvement, and social equity. If a vineyard meets all requirements and is certified through the New York Sustainable Winegrowing program, they may market their vineyard and grapes as such.
Applicants will need to complete a copy of VineBalance 2025 by January 31, 2025 with a score of 75% and undergo an independent, in-person audit to verify the self-reported scores. A Webinar will be held on December 10th, 2024 at 10:00 AM to discuss the certification process for new and returning growers.
Bottles of wine produced with at least 85% certified grapes will be able to display the New York Sustainable Winegrowing Trustmark indicating the winery’s dedication to environmental and social sustainability. The first certified bottles hit the shelves in 2024 and will continue, so keep an eye out and support sustainable New York Wine.
To learn more please visit newyorkwines.org/industry/sustainability.
To apply for certification please click here.
