Growing a Sustainable Future

In the United States, more and more wine drinkers are opting for and even demanding sustainable options in their wine, and in Washington, the country’s second largest wine producer, the industry is taking notice.

According to the IWSR, an alcohol data provider, "the proportion of regular wine drinkers willing to pay more for sustainable wine has significantly increased between 2021 and 2022," and almost half of people who drink wine said they would always choose a sustainable wine if it was available.

"The market is demanding certified sustainable wines, and we are offering this program for Washington’s vineyards — and therefore the wineries," says Heather Bradshaw of the Washington Wine Commission. "As new consumers come into the wine-drinking market, we are seeing that they care about sustainability; they care about what’s in their wine."

In 2022, as a result of this demand, a group of winemakers and growers in Washington created the Sustainable WA certification, a rigorous, science-based program that uses a third-party auditor to ensure that vineyards are adopting sustainable practices. Any winemaker that uses more than 75% of Sustainable WA certified grapes can add the certification logo to their bottles and marketing.

"Sustainable WA covers all pillars of sustainability — environmentally sound, socially equitable, and economically viable," says Bradshaw. "Sustainable WA was built for Washington vineyards, and it’s the first vineyard certification program that was tailored specifically to Washington’s growing conditions."

Last year, Sustainable WA also partnered with Salmon-Safe, an organization that works with farmers and landowners to protect rivers and streams, to allow vineyards to be certified by both programs in one audit.

Bradshaw says Washington is naturally more environmentally sustainable for growing grapes than many other regions, partly because many kinds of fungus and insects can’t survive here, reducing the need for pesticides. Pesticide use and application are some of the practices that
Sustainable WA auditors assess, along with things like erosion control, water management, accident prevention, and employee training.

Since its inception, the program has taken off.

"It’s been embraced in wonderful ways," Bradshaw says. "After just a few years, a third of our vineyard acreage is certified."

More efforts are being made every day to increase the sustainability of our state’s vineyards. The Washington State Soil Health Initiative has dedicated one of its six sites, in Prosser, to researching and demonstrating ways to improve soil health and resilience for grape growers. Researchers also break down the economic sustainability of those practices.

According to Dr. Liz Gillispie, Soil Health vineyard manager and research soil scientist, two major issues in Washington are soil erosion from high winds and bare soils directly under the grapevines. Researchers are looking at methods that include adding cover crops and compost, as well as reducing tillage, which can help prevent erosion and increase nutrients.

"Addressing this is crucial for the sustainability of vineyards to keep these systems productive and stable for the next generation," she said.

Cover crops, in particular, can be helpful in vineyards, said Gillispie. They’re crops grown beneath the grapevines that can help with things like water movement and root penetration, in addition to keeping the soil from becoming too compact. Gillispie’s team also hopes that cover crops can compete with weeds, decreasing vineyards’ need for herbicides.

Gillispie said the team has an advisory committee that includes grape growers, viticulturists, vintners, crop advisers, and wine commission representatives, and they serve as mentors and references for the researchers.

"There are so many amazing aspects about this vineyard, and the project, and the team," she says. "I started off as a research soil scientist, but they have certainly taught me how to become a farmer!"

In addition to the researchers who are looking for new, more sustainable ways to grow crops, there are many organizations throughout Washington that provide resources for growers who want to learn more or implement sustainable practices on their farms. One organization, the Tilth Alliance, provides information, funding, and other resources for farms and gardeners to adopt environmentally sustainable practices.

Washington also has 45 conservation districts that work with local farmers on a voluntary basis, developing relationships with them and helping them implement best practices to improve their farm’s sustainability and, in some cases, reduce costs. The conservation districts don’t serve a regulatory purpose but rather support landowners and land managers. In turn, the Washington State Conservation Commission is a state agency that supports those conservation districts.

Karen Hills works for the Conservation Commission and manages its Sustainable Farms and Fields Program, which provides grants to conservation districts that they can then pass on to growers who are adopting environmentally sustainable farming practices. While some practices, like nutrient management to improve soil health, can actually save farmers money, others can cost money to implement — for example, planting hedgerows to reduce wind erosion and provide a habitat for pollinators.

"Some folks will do them without financial incentives," says Hills, "but things are tight in agriculture, and it’s really important to have some incentives available to really get wider adoption of some of these practices."

Other practices include rotating crops, which can reduce the need for fertilizers and pesticides; practicing irrigation management to save water; and planting riparian buffers — a strip of trees, shrubs, and plants — in between farmland and water to keep the water cool and free of contaminants.

Hills says a wide range of farmers have benefited from the Sustainable Farms and Fields program, from dairy farms to small, diversified farms to large dryland wheat farms. In short, she said, sustainability is really about making sure farming practices don’t harm things like soil, water, or animal habitats, but it’s also about ensuring that these farms can survive for years to come.

"There’s environmental sustainability — not causing harm in our production of food, forage, or fiber," says Hills. "Economic sustainability is also a key part of the conversation — making sure that these farms are economically viable and can continue operating."