Career Advice & News Center

When job seekers first look out upon the somewhat daunting world of the workforce, they tend to think of their career options as restrained to some basic categories: business, education, banking, publishing, computers, healthcare and retail, among others. Few would ever think to consider a career on a winery or vineyard, even as the industry takes steps to prove its competence as a sustainable business sector.

On Thursday, January 14, the California Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) announced a new certification program, whereby approved third party boards may confirm a winery's adherence to a "process of continuous improvement" in assuming sustainable winegrowing practices.

According to CSWA guidelines, certified wineries must meet 58 prerequisite criteria as well as create an annual action plan for improvement in sustainable practices over time.

"When you discuss sustainability within the California wine community, it is not just a statement of a program but an imbedded philosophy that we live by each and every day," said CSWA Board Chairman Chris Savage.

He added, "It is the commitment to this philosophy and the very positive impact it has on our businesses that will ensure the continued growth of the California wine industry long into the future."

The CSWA's Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices Self-Assessment Workbook, emphasizes environmentally and socially responsible techniques for producing wine, giving job applicants with training in the environmental sciences a strong career opportunity in California, the world's fourth largest producer of wine.

To date, more than 1,500 California vineyards and wineries, representing almost 70 percent of the state's wine acres have been certified by the CSWA, in individual efforts to ensure the financial success of their businesses.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics associate's and bachelor's degrees have become popular among those seeking to make a career out of agricultural management.