Cheers to Willamette Valley Vineyards:
Oregon-based Winery
First to Use Certified Sustainable Cork
Stoppers
The
Rainforest Alliance raises a glass to Willamette
Valley Vineyards, which is set to become
the first winery in the world to use cork
stoppers harvested from responsibly managed
forestlands certified by the Forest Stewardship
Council (FSC). The winery, based in Turner,
Oregon, was recently awarded FSC Chain-of-Custody
certification by the Rainforest Alliance.
"Cork stoppers that come from responsibly
managed forestlands are the only choice
for wineries that want to have a positive
environmental and social impact," said
Jamie Lawrence, European Forestry Division
Manager for the Rainforest Alliance.
"Willamette's
commitment to supporting responsible cork
production in rural communities in the Mediterranean
is commendable and progressive, fitting
of a world-class winery that focuses on
making sustainable choices."
The
Rainforest Alliance was responsible for
awarding FSC certification at each step
throughout the process, beginning with certifying
the worlds first cork forest in 2005, later
certifying the cork manufacturing facilities,
owned by the Amorim Group, and now certifying
Willamette Valley Vineyards to help achieve
this global first in the wine industry.
Carlos
de Jesus, marketing and communications director
for Amorim & Irmaos S.A., the world's
largest cork processor and the first FSC-certified
cork company, congratulated Willamette on
its certification. "We would like to
emphasize the unique role that natural cork
plays in responding to the market demands
for environmentally and socially responsible
wine closures," de Jesus said. "The
wine industry is responding to a demand
by informed consumers that is resulting
in the conservation of fragile ecosystems
and the reduction of the industry's carbon
footprint."
The
use of cork is essential to protect the
environment as wineries are increasingly
using plastic stoppers and aluminum screw
caps due to concerns about tainting, oxidation
and leakage. However, ensuring that forests
are managed responsibly and are also economically
viable plays a crucial role in conserving
them and maintaining the culture of cork
farming that has existed for thousands of
years. Cork is renewable and biodegradable,
and not a single tree is cut down to harvest
cork. The bark of the cork oak tree renews
itself and can be stripped off every decade
to extract cork without damaging the trees.
The
wine industry plays a critical role in maintaining
the economic value of cork and the cork
oak forests. Unless the commercial value
of cork stoppers is maintained, there is
a risk that cork oak landscapes could face
an economic crisis, loss of biodiversity
and an accelerated desertification process.
Cork oak landscapes cover about 2.7 million
hectares of land in Portugal, Spain, Algeria,
Morocco, Italy, Tunisia and France. The
cork forests in the Iberian Peninsula produce
more than half the cork consumed worldwide.
They are a biodiversity hot spot, home to
endangered species and one of the last natural
forest ecosystems in Western Europe. They
also provide a vital source of income for
tens of thousands of people.
Willamette
Valley Vineyards produces some 100,000 cases
of principally Pinot Noir annually that
is distributed throughout the United States,
Canada and the Pacific Rim. Starting with
the 2006 vintage Pinot Noir that will be
bottled in July 2007, the winery will begin
using FSC-certified cork stoppers in all
its bottles. The corks will be imprinted
with the FSC and Rainforest Alliance logo,
and bottle labels will also bear both certification
seals. The wine will be available to consumers
in the United States starting in fall 2007
and with plans to distribute in the United
Kingdom in the next couple years.
"We think about every aspect of how
we can walk as softly as possible in pursuing
our goal of making world-class Pinot Noir,"
said Jim Bernau, founder and president of
Willamette Valley Vineyards. "The question
is: What is the best choice for the long-term
health of the planet? The clear answer is
natural cork that comes from a responsibly
managed forest."
Willamette
Valley Vineyard's cork stoppers will come
from one of four currently FSC-certified
cork forests, three of which were certified
by the Rainforest Alliance, the first of
which being Fruticor - a group of small
landowners and managers - that was certified
by the Rainforest Alliance in early 2005
in the Alentejo region of Portugal.
Why
choose cork? Find out more here:
http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/news/2005/why_cork.html
See
photos of cork harvesting:
http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/news/cork_slideshow/cork_slideshow_5.html
The
Rainforest Alliance works to conserve biodiversity
and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming
land-use practices, business practices and
consumer behavior. For more information,
visit www.rainforest-alliance.org
Willamette
Valley Vineyards
Shelby Zadow
Shelby.Zadow@wvv.com
503.588.9463 (work)
503.913.2009 (cell)
Amorim
& Irmaos S.A
Carlos de Jesus
+ 351 968690309 (cell)
carlos.dejesus.ai@amorim.com
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