SIP Certified Welcomes New Vineyard and Winery Members
SIP (Sustainability in Practice Certified Welcomes over fifteen new vineyards and wineries to their line-up of businesses committed to practicing sustainable farming and winemaking methods. New members include California and Michigan properties.
ATASCADERO, Calif., Oct. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- SIP (Sustainability in Practice) Certified welcomes over fifteen new vineyards and wineries to their line-up of businesses committed to practicing sustainable farming and winemaking methods. The holistic nature of the third-party certification process encompasses the three P's of sustainability; People, Planet, Prosperity. As the consumer demand for full transparency continues to grow, programs like SIP Certified are crucial for providing vineyards and wineries with a system holding them accountable.
New to the SIP Certified line up is Shady Lane Cellars' vineyard in Leelanau, Michigan. This vineyard is nestled in the verdant western peninsula in what is known as Michigan's "little finger" and was excited to pioneer sustainable practices in the area. Vineyard manager Andy Fles works hard to farm sustainably and mentions, "we were really looking for market recognition for a lot of the hard work we were putting into the vineyard and SIP Certified was the program that resonated the most with our overall goals. We also have so many more young consumers visiting the area that are there to learn and have grown up as conscious consumers. I think this certification really speaks to them as well."
Rava Wines and Vineyard from Paso Robles, California are also new SIP Certified members and are excited to go above and beyond social responsibility and be stewards of the land. As a third-generation farmer, owner Chad Rava's motivation to become SIP Certified stems from creating an environmentally safe future for his children. "For Rava, becoming SIP Certified and getting that officially on paper was a decision for the health of our family, neighbors, and community. We wanted to ensure that our family could farm and live off the land for generations to come." says co-owner Lauren Rava.
As SIP Certified increases its reach across the US, it's clear that sustainable practices in vineyards and wineries are not only in demand from consumers but from farmers as well. Andy Fles points out, "it's important as a farmer to be aware of things like pesticide residue, water practices and the environment as a whole. SIP Certified provides us with an essential set of standards and practices to follow."
Beth Vukmanic-Lopez, SIP Certified Manager, is excited about the proliferation of the program and is looking forward to the future, "We are honored to work with more brands across the US that are dedicated to making a positive impact on the planet."
ABOUT SIP CERTIFIED
Sustainability in Practice (SIP) Certified is one of the wine industry's oldest and most important third-party assessment programs. It utilizes a block-to-bottle, integrated approach to management, enabling farmers, wineries, and winemakers to preserve the environment and protect human resources. SIP Certified boasts strict, non-negotiable requirements and standards based on science, expert input, independent verification, transparency, and the absence of conflict of interest. SIP Certified launched its pilot program in 2008 with 3,700 acres of vines between Monterey and Santa Barbara counties. Today, there are 42,000 acres of vines in California and Michigan, four wineries, and more than 43 million bottles of wine that have been SIP Certified.
SOURCE SIP Certified
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