Whether it’s on their webpage, a product sheet, or a wine label, Carmel Road Winery certainly celebrates their SIP™ certified status!
As anyone who’s gone through the SIP™ process knows all too well, earning this certification is no walk in the park, so if you’ve got it, you should definitely flaunt it. Founded in 1997, Carmel Road has maintained SIP™ status every year since 2008, but that doesn’t mean they’re resting on their laurels.
“We believe that making great wine in Monterey and preserving this special place go hand in hand,” the Carmel Road website notes. “Constant innovations, whether in the vineyard or winery, help us maintain this commitment. It’s about minding the details … We watch our impacts to foster a biosphere that will persevere for generations.”
Among the best management practices that Carmel Road has implemented to achieve this are everything from drip irrigation to recycling water used to rinse barrels and tanks, from installing energy-efficient equipment to using falcons for rodent control, from planting cover crops for beneficial insects to educating the workforce about personal and environmental safety issues.
Of course, part of the sustainability equation is economic. Good deeds also have to translate to a healthy bottom line, and for a winery, that starts with producing good wine. Carmel Road was already producing award-winners (primarily Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs) before their SIP™ certification, but the accolades certainly haven’t stopped coming since.
Among the awards garnered since 2008 are: a Double Gold and Best of Class at Jerry Mead’s New World International Wine Competition, a couple of Golds at the San Francisco International Wine Competition, an Award of Merit at the Sante Gold Star Award, a Chairman’s Award and Gold at the Riverside International Wine Competition, a Gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, a couple of Golds and Reserve Class Champion at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo International Wine Competition, … well, you get the idea!
