Wine, Grapes, and Land Stewardship: why sustainability matters to us

We can’t make wine without grapes. We can’t grow grapes without the land. Wine is ultimately about land stewardship and ultimately, that stewardship extends to all of the natural resources that surround us. We would be thwarting our own future if we didn’t care about the environment. But it’s more than caring about the environment, it’s about taking pro-active steps to be aggressively protective, ambitiously sustainable, and mindful of the impact of each and every one of our actions. So what does this really look like, on the ground?

New York Sustainable Winegrowing

The New York Wine & Grape Foundation, recognizing the call for trust to back these sustainable efforts, developed the New York Sustainable Winegrowing. As they describe, it is “a comprehensive program that includes educational events and resources as well as an official certification process for Vineyards who are seeking to advance their environmental, social, and economic sustainability.”

Certification is based upon achieving a minimum score in the VineBalance workbook, which is designed to provide grape growers in New York and other regions of the Northeast with guidance in evaluating and adopting best management practices that minimize environmental impacts, reduce economic risks, and protect worker health and safety. Standards in the workbook are set by a panel of experts including academics, industry members, and extension specialists focusing on practices relevant to New York grape production. Annually, these standards undergo review and revision to ensure they are up to date with science based best practices and economic feasibility. Currently the workbook features nine objectives.  

1. To foster a socially equitable and economically viable industry. 
2. To promote the use of practices that reduce reliance on off-farm inputs. 
3. To build, regenerate, and conserve healthy soils for future generations. 
4. To protect surrounding reservoirs and waterways from pollution. 
5. To improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
6. To conserve natural resources, reduce waste streams, and recycle. 
7. To encourage healthy ecosystems, biodiversity, and wildlife habitat. 
8. To increase climate resiliency and promote climate-smart farming. 
9. To provide education and pathways for continuous improvement. 

Nine wineries who are members of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail have received New York Sustainable Winegrowing certification including:

Anthony Road Wine Company, Atwater Vineyards, Boundary Breaks, Doyle Vineyard Management (Caywood Vineyards), Fox Run Vineyards, Lakewood Vineyards, Lamoreaux Landing Wine Cellars, Three Brothers Wineries & Estates, and Wagner Vineyards.

Certification is based on science backed regionally defined standards and independent third-party audits so you can feel confident in the wine you are drinking. Look for the Trustmark at vineyards and wineries and on bottles to ensure that the wine you are enjoying is environmentally sound, socially equitable, and financially sustainable.

Learn more about sustainable wineries on Seneca Lake

Many Seneca Lake wineries have taken extra-steps over the past decade-plus to mitigate their impact on the land. This isn’t new to them or us. Wine isn’t just what we do, it’s who we are. Our identity is tied to the land, our future is tied to the land. We are intimately aware of our impact and try to behave accordingly.

Driving past wineries you’ll see things like solar panels to offset (or in some instances, completely replace energy used from the power grid), cover crops planted between rows aimed at preventing erosion and reducing run-off into the lake, wildflower gardens planted on open land to help support pollinators, and even planting and harvesting their own organic hay.

Read more about these efforts in a previous blog post here.