CSWA Wins Governor's High Honor

California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance win Governor's Environmental honor.

Compiled by staff

Published: Dec 2, 2010

Governor Schwarzenegger honored the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance with the 2010 Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award, the state's highest environmental honor, for the California Sustainable Winegrowing Program during a ceremony at the Governors' Global Climate Summit 3 at the University of California, Davis Mondavi Center Global Pavilion.

A 2004 GEELA recipient, CSWA received this year's award in the category of Enhanced Environmental and Economic Leadership. This category honors prior GEELA award recipients who have sustained exceptional leadership and demonstrate significant and robust improvements in voluntary efforts previously recognized, which conserve California's resources, protect and enhance the environment and strengthen the economy.

Governor Schwarzenegger presented the GEELA award at a ceremony. From left, Nancy Light, Wine Institute director of communications; John Aguirre, California Association of Winegrape Growers president; California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance Chairman Chris Savage, E. & J. Gallo Winery director of global environmental affairs; Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger; Allison Jordan, CSWA executive director and Wine Institute director of environmental affairs; Lisa Francioni, CSWA project manager and Wine Institute environmental affairs coordinator. Photo by thecityclickers.com

CSWA is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization established by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers eight years ago to support widespread adoption of sustainable winegrowing practices. The program has broad industry participation with 1,566 vineyard and winery organizations, representing 68% of California's vineyard acreage and 63% of the state's 240 million case shipments evaluating their operations with CSWA's Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices workbook. CSWA has held nearly 400 sustainable winegrowing workshops throughout California since the inception of its program with more than 9,200 growers and winemakers attending the workshops.

"California's vintners and growers have embraced our program for the long-term viability of their family businesses and local communities," says Wine Institute President and CEO Robert P. (Bobby) Koch.

"The GEELA Award is a high honor for CSWA and we welcome recognition of the tremendous strides made by California winegrape growers toward realizing the promise of sustainability," says California Association of Winegrape Growers President John Aguirre.