WillaKenzie Estate First to Receive New Sustainability Certifications

WillaKenzie Estate is the first winery to receive the new Low Input Viticulture and Enology (LIVE) winery certification and also the first winery to be awarded Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine (OCSW) designation for its 2008 vintage wines.

A pioneer in providing education and certification for Oregon vineyards using international sustainability standards, LIVE has provided certification for sustainable vineyards and individual wines since 2001. WillaKenzie Estate has had a long-standing affiliation with both programs.

In 2008, LIVE created a similar certification process for entire winery facilities and operations, with stringent standards that address sustainability inside the winery, and include winemaking practices, energy use, responsible water usage, recycling, and worker health and safety.

A sustainable certification from LIVE allows a winery to apply for the new State sponsored OCSW designation. The Oregon Wine Board initiated the Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine program in 2008. This progressive program is intended to increase awareness of wineries' adherence to sustainability, communicate the importance and guarantee of certification and encourage distribution of sustainable wines so consumers can access them. The OCSW program focuses on three pillars: responsible agriculture, responsible winemaking and third-party certification.

OCSW aims to create a unifying platform that recognizes certifications from LIVE, as well as the National Organic Program, Food Alliance, and Demeter (Biodynamics) among others. Its certification logo aims to help consumers easily identify and purchase sustainable wines. The OCSW logo on a bottle label guarantees that consumers are drinking wine crafted using responsible agriculture and winemaking practices – and that both of those processes were certified by an independent third party.

"WillaKenzie Estate is proud to be a pioneer in this new era of Oregon's ongoing commitment to sustainable viticulture and winemaking," said Bernard Lacroute, proprietor of WillaKenzie Estate.

Oregon Wine Board will launch a comprehensive consumer and media awareness campaign when OCSW labeled bottles are available nationwide. Visit the new, interactive website at http://ocsw.org featuring OCSW wines and videos showcasing personal stories.