Santa Maria, CA – The Thornhill Companies is pleased to share their recent certification status as a Certified Sustainable Winery for their Central Coast Wine Services (CCWS) winemaking facility in Santa Maria, CA.
After receiving their California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) certification in 2008 and passing rigorous inspections to obtain re-certification in April of 2017, CCWS has continued its quest to improve in quality and sustainability within the vineyard and winery. “We’ve been pleased with the CCOF certification of our facility, which has allowed us to produce wines for the organic market,” says Nicholas Miller, VP of Sales and Marketing for Thornhill Companies. “But we knew we wanted to take things to the next level to prove our commitment to sustainability, as well.”
For Certified Sustainable status, a winery must meet a comprehensive list of specifications and requirements developed by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA). These specifications were developed to increase the sustainability of the California wine industry through the adoption of sustainable practices, environmental stewardship and conservation of natural resources, as well as socially equitable business practices. “We started with the very basics, putting our efforts into completing the online self-assessment to evaluate our winery on a holistic level,” explains Miller. “In areas where we needed the most improvement, we were required to create ‘Action Plans’ that outlined what changes would be made and the timeline in which these changes would occur.”
After meeting prerequisite conditions to ensure key sustainability areas are addressed, the process for certification requires an onsite assessment and review, the results of which are evaluated by the CSWA for certification status. “Certified Sustainable serves as a catalyst for continuous improvement and adoption of sustainable practices,” says Miller. “We’re incredibly honored and proud to receive this certification, which further exemplifies Thornhill’s extensive commitment to the highest level of farming and winemaking.”
Founded in 1988, Central Coast Wine Services is a 250,000 square foot winemaking facility providing the Central Coast with a safe, comprehensive professional work environment for wine production and storage. CCWS is home to Thornhill’s winemaking team, including Clay Brock, Wes Hagen, Richard Shelton and Thomas Fertel, as well as numerous customers, assisting both grape growers and wineries by expanding their alternatives for fermenting, aging, storing and bottling.
Thornhill Companies is owned by the Miller family, who have been farming California’s Central Coast for five generations, and includes such well-recognized labels as J. Wilkes, a recent recipient of Wine & Spirits’ Top Pinot Noirs of 2017, Ballard Lane and Smashberry, Turn Key Wine Brands, custom crush facilities Central Coast Wine Services and Paso Robles Wine Services, and a portfolio of Central Coast vineyards.
