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Certified Sustainable

Steve McIntyre helped “write the book” on sustainable winegrowing in the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation. The McIntyre family has been farming in a responsible, sustainable manner long before such practices became vogue. While they grow grapes organically and biodynamically for several wineries and apply many of these techniques to their entire operation, they prefer to farm in a “sustainable system.” A sustainable system is much broader, more comprehensive, bigger “carbon footprint” program than an organic system – carefully taking into account everything that happens in and around the vineyard . Sustainability is a self correcting discipline that not only impacts the environment but society (their employees) and the bottom line as well.

There is much debate in the wine industry regarding various “going green” business models. On the grape growing side, one emerging “farming for the future” trend is “sustainable viticulture.” And while “sustainability” may seem a new buzzword to some, to the Central Coast Vineyard Team it is a subject into which they have already invested well over a decade. And those years of hard work are about to pay off as they launch the first-ever process aimed at actually testing and certifying vineyards on the Central Coast as being “sustainably farmed.” Steve McIntyre is a founding member and long time contributor to CCVT.

The non-profit CCVT group has painstakingly created rigorous rules and protocols, putting real meaning, real teeth into “sustainability.” A pilot program to test and certify volunteer vineyard properties is currently underway. McIntyre Vineyards will be among the first to be officially certified “sustainable.”

CCVT’s members believe that sustainability rests on the principle that the needs of the present can be met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Specifically, the goal of sustainable viticulture is to integrate environmentally sound practices, social equity, and economic feasibility into decision making on a system-wide level. As such, it is a more encompassing, “bigger picture” philosophy than site-specific terms such as “organic” and “bio-dynamic.” Basic key components of sustainable winegrowing include natural conservation, human education, water quality protection, erosion control, habitat restoration and conservation, cover crops, and safe and efficient use of soil amendments.

As early as 1996, this local grower group pioneered the innovative “Positive Points System,” a 1,000 point self-assessment used to evaluate over 30,000 vineyard acres since its inception. As a tool, the PPS helped educate and guide hundreds of growers towards adopting practices that protect both human and natural resources. In 2002, the CCVT members actively discussed the possible shift from self-evaluation to third-party certification. From dialogue came action and in 2003, a group of dedicated growers and advisors met regularly to develop a set of farming standards that ensure environmentally conscious, economically feasible, and socially equitable farming operations. Over a period of almost four years, they completed the standards and incorporated hundreds of comments from an extensive “peer review” involving governmental, environmental, social, agricultural, and academic representatives. Many diverse experts and groups, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the California Audubon Society to name but a few, provided input and affirmation. With the standards ready, the certification program was ready to launch.

Prior to the 2009 harvest, it was McIntyre’s turn to submit the copious documentation required on every aspect of its farming practices and face the independent auditor responsible for maintaining the strict new “sustainability” standards. Thanks to McIntyre’s two decades history of careful, conscientious stewardship of their Santa Lucia Highlands’ vineyard, they passed with flying colors. Pending a final board review of the results, McIntyre will be able to proudly declare their eventual 2009 vintage wines as officially certified “Sustainably Grown.”

More information on Sustainable Winegrowing and the work of the Central Coast Vineyard Team is available at www.vineyardteam.org