You must have and update at least every five years a conservation plan based on the type(s) of habitat affected by new vineyard development and/or ongoing vineyard operations. A Natural Resource Conservation Service Conservation Plan or equivalent qualifies.

Equivalent plans will address the following sections. Download template.

• Short and long term
• Natural resource objectives
• Production and economic objectives
• Resource inventory and resource concerns
• Soil
• Erosion potential and management plan
• Streams and/or waterbodies
• Air quality
• Cover crops, filter strips, and vegetated buffers
• Snag and cavity trees
• Noxious or invasive plants
• Hedgerows and windbreak shelter trees
• Forest/woodland areas
• Wetland areas
• Wildlife areas
• Animals, fish and wildlife
• Rare or endangered plant and animal species
• Prioritized resource and restoration concerns and projects

Attach conservation plan including identification of habitat areas on your ranch map and document below what sensitive species, if any, exist in your area.

When was the plan last completed?

What percent of the property is maintained as non-vineyard habitat (i.e. native and naturalized grasses, flowering plants, shrubs and trees in corners, edges and corridors)?

[ ] >30% (6 pts.)

[ ] 20-29% (4 pts.)

[ ] 10-19% (2 pts.)

[ ] <10% (0 pts.)

Attach ranch map marked with percent of property maintained in non-vineyard habitat.

Are insectary rows maintained every 5 – 10 rows?

If yes, indicate Insectary plantings on ranch map. Provide documentation of insectary row species composition.

Did you choose spacing based on soil type, rootstock, terrain, variety, and clone?

Explain.

Was your trellis and training system designed to optimize canopy microclimate and sunlight exposure, and minimize disease and insect pressure?

Provide a written description of your trellis system(s) and how it addresses these issues.

Is your canopy microclimate monitored?

[ ] Yes – Point Quadrant Method – Number of leaf layers, % gaps, % interior leaves, and % interior clusters (2 pts.)

[ ] Yes – Datalogger – air temperature and/or humidity (relative to outside the canopy) (2 pts.)

[ ] Yes – Light bar/Ceptometer – % light penetration or degree of shading (2 pts.)

[ ] Yes – Other (2 pts.)

Describe monitoring.

If your vineyard has a nitrogen requirement, as determined by a soil or tissue test, does your cover crop include a nitrogen-fixer (clovers, vetches, legumes, etc.)?

[ ] Not Applicable

Provide a written description of nitrogen fixing cover crop and management practices.

If not applicable, provide written explanation.

Your ventilation system(s) must be designed to handle all chemicals and gasses involved in wine production.

Describe the ventilation system.

Is your building located to take advantage of solar orientation for daylighting, passive heating and/or cooling, etc.?

Describe how passive solar was incorporated into the building design and attach an architectural floor plan or details showing how passive solar elements were constructed.

If Not applicable, explain.

Does the building have glazing, high U-value, or other high efficiency windows installed and/or solar shading?

[ ] Not applicable only if facility was constructed prior to ownership and windows have not been retrofitted since purchase.

List or show on facility map where windows are installed and U-value rating.

Does the winery have sloped/free draining floors? Not applicable only if facility was constructed prior to ownership.

Describe percent slope and drain location(s).

Is gravity flow incorporated into your production areas?

Describe the use of gravity flow and show on attached facility map.

Do you have subsurface or naturally cooled rooms?

Outline the square footage of applicable rooms on a facility map.

Do you use tractors and/or vineyard equipment that minimize soil compaction, such as high floatation tires, track-layers, or over the row equipment?

[ ] Greater than or equal to 75% of total equipment (2 pts.)

[ ] Between 25% and 75% of total equipment (1 pts.)

[ ] Less than 25% of total equipment

If yes, list equipment.

Do you use GIS/GPS equipped pesticide/fertilizer application systems that enable variable rate chemical application and/or do you use target-sensing pesticide application equipment that reduce pesticide and fertilizer use while preserving efficacy?

If yes, describe equipment and how it relates to reduced pesticide and fertilizer use and increased efficacy.

Is mixing and loading performed on sites with low runoff hazard?

If yes, explain.

You must have vegetated perimeter buffers of no less than 25 feet from the setback of perennial streams and/or wetland areas.

Indicate perimeter buffers on ranch map. Not Applicable only if there are no perennial streams and wetland areas on the property.

Provide written statement.

You must use a low-volume irrigation system (drip or micro-sprinkler) for irrigating during the growing season.

Provide a written statement of your low-volume irrigation system including emitter spacing, tube gauge and emitter flow rate.

Are there flow meters on all the wells or other pumps to monitor water usage over the season and are logs kept?

Provide written description of flow meter locations.

Do you have high-efficiency/low-flow toilets (e.g. less than 1.6 gallons per flush) and low-flow aerators installed on sink faucets and/or showerheads?

Describe.

You must do at least three of the following to prevent erosion on the grounds.

Check all that apply and describe measures taken.

Do you use grazing animals within your vineyard or buffer zones to reduce mechanical workload?

Describe practices.

The chiller system must be designed and sized appropriately for your winery.

Describe how the chiller system was selected.

Air compressors must be sized correctly and provide your winery with efficient and optimal performance.

List air compressor associated with winery operations and describe how you determine appropriate sizing for your needs.

You must reduce heating and cooling loads by utilizing at least four of the following:

Are unused or seasonally-used areas closed and secured, have utilities turned off and/or equipment unplugged when not in use?

Describe procedure.

Is natural lighting used where available?

Describe.

Are outside production lights shielded to direct light onto task areas and away from neighbors?

Describe.

All temperature controlled rooms, including office and hospitality spaces, must have functioning thermostats that are programmed to conserve energy.

Attach procedure for room thermostats.

Do you have on-demand hot water heater(s) at point of use locations?

Describe location(s) and use.

Are your spray operators and foreman equipped with wind speed measurement devices?

List wind speed measurement device(s):

Do you use electric forklifts indoors?

List equipment.

You must store hazardous materials in a safe, secure location and use oldest materials first.

Indicate storage location on a facilities map.

All lubricants and wine production contact surfaces must be food grade.

List products used.

Do you use low-waste filtration technology such as cross-flow filtration?

Name low-waste filtration system.

You must have a program in place listing all reagents and chemicals used in the lab and their proper disposal method as per SDS.

Attach list and disposal procedure.

Is compostable waste collected separately from trash and composted?

Describe.

Do you use lightweight glass (less than 440 grams) to cut down on weight of freight and carbon footprint?

[ ] 75 - 100% of production (3 pts.)

[ ] 50 - 75% of production (2 pts.)

[ ] 25 - 50% of production (1 pts.)

[ ] 0 - 25% of production

Do you store winery waste, byproducts, and wood pallets offsite or away from the winery buildings in order to deter pests?

Describe storage location and show on map.