Features Business Policy
BRIT’s 2016 International Sustainable Winegrowing Competition

June 23, 2015, Fort Worth, TX – Come join the competition! The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) has posted its 2016 sustainable winegrowing application on its website and is ready for downloading by wineries wishing to compete in BRIT’s 2016 sustainable winegrowing competition.

The award attracts progressive and passionate wine organizations from around the world that are taking a leading role in “ground to glass” sustainable programs. The competition is based on the continual improvement of the three tenets of sustainability – environment, economic, and social – and wine taste.

The competition begins July 1, 2015, with a submission deadline of October 25, 2015. The winners will be selected and notified in January 2016. Platinum, gold, silver, and bronze-level medals will be awarded to top-placing wineries.

The competition’s overall winner will be presented with BRIT’s International Award of Excellence in Sustainable Winegrowing during the Fort Worth Food and Wine Festival scheduled March 31 to April 3, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas.

The sustainable winegrowing application is comprised of 18 high-level self-assessment questions focusing on the three tenets of sustainability: environmental, social, and economic aspects, plus a 19th subjective assessment – wine taste. The judging committee values a balance between all the criteria.

Among the 18 criteria judged are seed selection; agricultural and winemaking protocols for saving water; soil conservation; saving energy; packaging protocols for waste reduction; programs for reducing carbon (CO2 e) emissions; social responsibility programs; and plans for continual improvement.

Applicants must describe their organization’s conservation efforts in the vineyard and in operations: how waste is avoided, how it is reclaimed, and how the winery extends conservation efforts to its customers. They must also detail the practices established by their organization to maintain environmentally sound, socially responsible, and economically feasible winemaking principles. A bottle of wine must also be provided for a tasting by the judging committee.

International entrants may use their U.S. distributors to forward their wine samples to BRIT or may use BRIT’s consignee, Accolade Brands, to clear shipments. If wishing to use Accolade, please contact Mark Newman, Accolade Brands, at 1-818-390-3888 or email, mark@accoladebrands.com before shipping.

Previous award recipients include: LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards (2014), Yalumba (2013), Trefethen Family Vineyards (2012), Parducci Wine Cellars (2011), and HALL Wines (2010).

The 2016 Sustainable Winegrowing application may be downloaded at the BRIT website: 2016 International Sustainable Winegrowing Application.