Washington Wine Industry Launches Sustainable Certification
“From pest and disease management to sustainable water management, prioritizing worker health and safety and tracking various inputs, this program is environmentally sound, socially equitable, and economically viable,” said Sustainable WA Program Manager Katlyn Slone.
Red cheat grass blooming between vineyard rows, Ambassador vineyard, Red Mountain AVA, Washington
Sustainable WA is the first certified sustainability program built specifically for Washington vineyards. To achieve certification, growers must commit to sustainable viticultural practices and pass a third-party audit to ensure operations meet established standards. After initial certification, Sustainable WA vineyards require an audit every three years during which continual improvement must be shown.
“Sustainable WA is built on the tenet that sustainability is a journey and is dedicated to ongoing evaluation and continual improvement,” Slone said. “It takes a rigorous and balanced look at all pillars of sustainability without leaning too heavily on one. Balance is the priority.”
The program offers certification for vineyards with plans to add certification for wineries in the future. Wineries may utilize the Sustainable WA logo on wine labels to signify the wine is made with certified grapes.
“Data shows the demand for sustainable products to be high,” said Steve Warner, president of the Washington State Wine Commission. “This program is imperative for the future of Washington wine not only to ensure healthy, productive vineyards and wineries for generations to come, but also to remain relevant in the global marketplace.”
Sustainable WA is two decades in the making. The Washington wine industry created an educational sustainability program called Vinewise\Winerywise over 20 years ago, to be intentionally scalable for certification. In 2019, an industry committee made up of 40+ Washington growers, vintners, and marketing professionals built upon the existing program to create Sustainable WA alongside leading sustainability consultant SureHarvest. This year, a small group of volunteer growers participated in a Beta test to provide feedback before full launch.
“Sustainability is part of our culture and our nature. It’s remarkable witnessing the past 20 years from educational tools to a statewide program,” said Vicky Scharlau, executive director of Washington Winegrowers. “Sustainable WA was built entirely for this industry and by this industry. We are excited for the full launch this summer.”
Sustainable WA is a collaboration between the Washington Winegrowers, the Washington State Wine Commission, the Washington Wine Industry Foundation and the Washington Wine Institute.
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Southern Glazer’s Donates $100K for Humanitarian Aid in Ukraine
Alcohol beverage distributor Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits is donating a total of $100,000 across three charitable organizations supporting humanitarian aid in Ukraine. The donation is the result of an employee fundraising campaign, in which Southern Glazer’s matched employee contributions to organizations performing meaningful work to help Ukrainian refugees.
In support of the Ukrainian community, Southern Glazer’s pledged to support World Central Kitchen, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere through its donation match campaign. All individual employee donations were made for humanitarian aid in Ukraine through Southern Glazer’s internal giving platform, VolunCheers Online, in order to qualify for the match.
Based on employee contributions and the company match, Southern Glazer’s will be donating $42,214, $40,127.52 and $17,659 respectively to WCK, UNHCR and CARE with the hope that the funds will help the organizations respond with supplies and resources needed to help those affected by the current crisis.
“Southern Glazer’s stands in support of the Ukrainian people and wfe cannot thank our employees enough for their generous contributions to this campaign,” said CEO Wayne E. Chaplin. “Through our VolunCheers platform, we are able to rally our workforce around providing humanitarian relief for Ukraine and its neighboring countries. We are thankful for the meaningful work these charities are spearheading to ensure families are given the supplies and resources needed.”
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Coors Light Energy-Efficient Rooftop Ads Have Chilling Effect
Globally, 2021 was ranked the fifth warmest year on record since 1880, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Heat waves are more frequent, and in Miami, there have been more 90-degree days than ever before. Air conditioners are humming non-stop, utility bills are skyrocketing, and overall, it’s just hotter.
In response, Coors Light has debuted Chillboards, rooftop billboard installations proven to cool buildings down.
The minimally branded rooftop installations are located atop apartment buildings in Miami and painted with Mule-Hide Finish reflective white roof coating, a formula proven to reflect 85 percent of sunlight. On one rooftop tested, Coors Light discovered the ad lowered the surface temperature of the roof by as much as 50 degrees. View how it works in this short video.
“The science behind Chillboards is actually pretty simple, dark surfaces absorb sun rays, but specially formulated white coating reflects them, resulting in a cooler temperature,” said Marcelo Pascoa, vice president of marketing for the Coors Family of Brands. “We realize not everyone will be able to paint their roofs white, but we hope to inspire Americans to make choices that reduce energy usage and puts a few dollars back in their pockets.”
The new rooftop Coors Light ads, which have different phrases such as, “Chillboards” and “Ads Nobody Can See, But Everyone Can Feel,” are written in the typeface “coolest,” designed to cover more than 95 percent of the surface space in reflective white paint.
“Simple and cost-friendly initiatives like Coors Light Chillboards can have a significant impact on the quality of life for renters and homeowners,” said Jane Gilbert, Miami-Dade chief heat officer. “If more communities started seeing the value of painting roofs white, we could cool down millions worldwide.”
In support of the energy-saving program, Coors Light is giving away 5,000 gallons of roof coating. For more information, visit www.Chillboards.com.
Coors Light worked with Creative Director Set Free Richardson and Street Artist Andulaz The Artist to produce the Chillboards.
In March, Coors Light spearheaded efforts for Molson Coors to move away from six-pack plastic rings by the end of 2025, a move that will eliminate 400,000 pounds of single-use plastic annually. Learn more about Coors Light sustainability agenda.
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