Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine

Increasingly, consumers are gravitating toward sustainable viticulture due to the high quality of the wines it produces; a bigger reason is because of the legacy it leaves. By practicing sustainable grape growing and winemaking, we are ensuring that the land, animals, and rivers to which many of our vineyards drain will still be here for generations to come.

The Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine (OCSW) program showcases the Oregon wine industry's commitment to responsible, sustainable vineyard and winery practices. When you buy an OCSW-certified bottle of wine, we're guaranteeing that the wine in that bottle was made using responsible agriculture practices, responsible winemaking practices, and that both of those processes were certified by an independent third party.

This doesn't just make good ecological sense; it makes good business sense, too. Research indicates that today's wine consumers purchase sustainable wines and support sustainable practices.

Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine® does not recreate the wheel for certification, but rather offers wineries currently holding and maintaining one of the certifications the chance to use the OCSW brand (link to OCSW section 6.2.1) on their label. This logo guarantees that the wine in that bottle was made using responsible agriculture and responsible winemaking, both certified by an independent third party.

Carbon Reduction Challenge
The Carbon Reduction Challenge (CRC) offers members a unique and powerful approach climate change concerns. CRC is a first-in-the-nation educational and solution-based greenhouse gas reduction certification program for the wine industry. The program's dual mission is to incorporate carbon reduction strategies into daily business operations that save producers' money, and to educate a growing body of value-based consumers as to the merits of purchasing environmentally and socially produced wines. CRC is led by Low Input Viticulture and Enology (LIVE ) and the Oregon Environmental Council and is based on a successful pilot program involving 14 Oregon wineries, representing 20% of Oregon's wine production.

Demeter Certified Biodynamic
In a word, biodynamic farming is rigorous. It means growing grapes and making wines completely free of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. A step further than organic, Biodynamic farming means managing the entire farm (or vineyard) as a living organism, with a high degree of self-sufficiency.

The Demeter Association is the world's leader of Biodynamic certification and awareness. It has a long history of promoting sustainability, dating back to 1928, when it was founded to support and promote the Biodynamic agricultural methods of Rudolf Steiner. The U.S. Demeter Association certified its first farm in 1982.

LIVE, Inc.
Low Input Viticulture & Enology (LIVE) is a program that certifies vineyards and wineries for following international guidelines for environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic accountability. LIVE also provides education and resources to winegrowers interested in sustainable farming.

Oregon Tilth Certified Organic
Many of Oregon's wineries are certified organic through Oregon Tilth, which has been a leader in certification since 1974. Oregon Tilth is an internationally recognized organization of organic farmers, gardeners and consumers who are dedicated to biologically sound and socially equitable agriculture. Their goal is to educate people about the need to develop and use sustainable growing practices that promote soil health, conserve natural resources, and prevent environmental degradation while producing a clean and healthful food supply.

Salmon-Safe
Since first certifying vineyards in the Willamette Valley in 1996, Salmon-Safe has certified 240 vineyards representing a third of Oregon's wine grape acreage. Founded by an Oregon-based river and native fish protection organization, Salmon-Safe has become one of the nation's leading regional eco-labels. Erosion and runoff from hillside vineyards can bring silt into streams, reducing the ability of native salmon to survive. That's why Salmon-Safe joins with LIVE, VINEA, and Oregon Tilth to work with pioneering wine growers to protect Oregon's important salmon watersheds. Look for the Salmon-Safe label on wine and you'll know that your purchase helps keep rivers clean so that salmon can thrive.

Vinea, The Winegrowers' Sustainable Trust
The Winegrowers Sustainable Trust is a voluntary group of winegrowers who have embraced environmentally friendly and socially responsible viticultural practices. Their mission is to develop a sustainable vineyard management program that will be internationally recognized for its strict environmental standard and high quality farming practices.