Oregon Debuts Sustainable Wine Certification

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for the July 31, 2009 issue

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Issue: July 31, 2009

If you've ever gone shopping for a "green" wine, you may have been puzzled by the various logos on labels: Demeter, LIVE, National Organic Program, Salmon Safe and more. Is one better than another? And how much do they differ from products made by wineries that don't have certification but claim to follow natural-farming practices? To address customer confusion about organic, biodynamic and sustainability certifications, the Oregon Wine Board has introduced Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine (OCSW), a program that guarantees that any wine carrying its logo meets three key criteria: It is made using environmentally responsible agricultural practices; it is made using responsible winemaking practices; and both of those processes are certified by an independent agency.

For the full article, check out the new issue of Wine Spectator, on newsstands June 12, 2009.

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