Sustainable wines hitting Washington store shelves this spring

Growers have harvested the first grapes under Washington state’s new sustainability program. Wines with the new "Sustainable WA" label should hit store shelves by spring.

“We have had very long-term, dedicated consumers of Washington wine that have expressed an interest in sustainability in all of agriculture, but certainly in the wines that they drink," said Vicky Scharlau, executive director of the Washington Wine Commission, adding that Northwest wine drinkers have long pushed for sustainability practices in vineyards.

To earn the new sustainability label, Washington grape growers must commit to sustainable vineyard practices, such as using water effectively, and pass a third-party audit to meet the new standards.

“It’s about being able to say, here we are; we’re Washington state; we’re sustainable. And we’ve got a third-party stamp to be able to provide a consumer that gives them confidence in that product, even more confidence than they had before,” Scharlau said.