Riverbench Vineyard Celebrates Officially 'Going Green'

SANTA MARIA, Calif., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Riverbench Vineyard and Winery is green- and they're making it official.

"Sustainability takes into account the bigger picture," says Laura Mohseni, General Manager of Riverbench.  "It's functioning in ways that don't take away the potential for future generations to enjoy an economic, environmental, and even social benefit.  We started in 2007 by renovating a 1926 ranch home on the vineyard property to become our tasting room.  We feel very strongly about reducing our carbon footprint, so we considered electricity use, water conservation, and waste."

And it didn't end there.  Riverbench uses only recycled paper products for the offices and considers the environment in packaging their wines.  Mohseni reports that this not only reduces waste, but saves them money most of the time, so it's just good common sense.

There was, however, an even bigger consideration: Riverbench's 420 acres of vineyard.  Jim Stollberg, the Vineyard Manager, prepared audits and paperwork for the Sustainability in Practice (SIP) Program, one of the first certification programs in the country to recognize environmental and human resource conservation throughout California.  The program, created by the Central Coast Vineyard Team, involves a rigorous process of analyzing resource conservation, safe pest management, and social responsibility. After several months Riverbench received official notice of certification in September 2010; it is now one of only three vineyards in Santa Barbara Wine Country to be certified sustainable by the SIP Program.

How does Jim feel about the results of his hard work?  "I am excited to receive this certification for this historic vineyard," he says.  "It shows the commitment of all of our employees and management to grow the highest quality grapes, protect our environment, and offer the best to our winery clients."

"With so many companies jumping onto the 'green' wagon," agrees Mohseni, "we find it refreshing to take steps like these because it's meaningful, not because it's popular."  And they'll continue to do so, day after day.

The Riverbench Tasting Room is located at 6020 Foxen Canyon Road in Santa Maria, California.  It is open daily from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Visit www.riverbench.com and www.sipthegoodlife.org.

SOURCE Riverbench Vineyard and Winery

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED