Sustainability In Practice (SIP) Certified ® is a sustainable certification program for winegrowers and winemakers.
SIP Certified brands use third-party verified sustainable practices so you can feel confident your wine protects the people and the planet.
Certification addresses the 3 P’s of Sustainability – People, Planet, Prosperity – ensuring that both natural and human resources are protected.
Community involvement, charitable donations, employee development and safety programs, continuing education, and much more are addressed in the program's Standards.
Alternative energy, recycling, habitat conservation plans, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), cover crops, organic soil additions, and responsible irrigation management practices all help to combat climate change and protect the environment.
You can't have a sustainable business if you can't sustain the business. That's why SIP Certified members must have annual/multi-year budgets, sales and marketing plans, and maintain legible inventory and production records.
“It’s important to me to be a conscientious member of our community. The SIP Certified program is a comprehensive process that demonstrates our dedication to people, our land, and our vines." |
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SIP Certified evolved from the award-winning self-assessment (Positive Points System) developed by Vineyard Team which helped growers evaluate their sustainable practices on every level, from habitat to water, soil to human resources.
After four years of intensive review by viticulture experts and experienced growers, SIP Certified launched its pilot program in 2008 with 3,700 acres of vines between Monterey and Santa Barbara counties.
Today, over 46,000 vineyard acres in California, Oregon, and Michigan, five wineries, and more than 60.3 million bottles of wine have been SIP Certified.
Consumers around the world can now find a wide array of sustainably produced wines to fit their needs, budgets, and stylistic preferences.
SIP Certified is proud to stand with other environmental leaders working to preserve our natural and human resources.
Chad Rava is a third-generation farmer whose family immigrated from Italy to Monterey County where they farmed cattle, vegetables, and carved out a bucolic life for themselves. Chad grew up working the land, riding horses, and eventually was a calf roper
Read MoreNiner Wine Estates has systematically replaced and upgraded vineyards, expanded the winery’s sustainable farming and winemaking programs, and created a reserve line of wines to showcase incredible fruit from their three estate vineyards.
Read MoreIn this Office Hours webinar, we were joined by Kevin Bargetto of Center of Effort and Gregory Gonzalez of Coastal Vineyard Care Associates to go over two SIP Certified chapters:
• Ch 5: Water Conservation and Quality
• Ch 6: Energy Conservation and Efficiency
SIP Certified inspections run on a 3-year cycle. The number of requirements you must fulfill differ depending on your cycle year.
Read more to learn about the three cycle types and what is required for each.