California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance

What California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance does

The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) is a Sacramento-based 501(c) nonprofit founded in 2003 by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) to advance sustainable winegrowing across the state. The organization administers Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW), a third-party certification program covering 151 vineyard and 113 winery best practices, with 223 certified wineries producing roughly 90% of California wine and 2,634 certified vineyards farming 43% of California winegrape acres. The underlying framework, the California Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Workbook (5th edition released December 2025), is a 200+ best-practice reference across 15 chapters used as the self-assessment backbone, delivered through the Sustainable Winegrowing Program Online Portal.

CSWA's technology stack is process- and data-driven rather than product-driven: an SWP Online Portal handles self-assessments, certification applications, and improvement tracking; third-party auditors (SCS Global Services verified the program against ISO/IEC 17065:2012, ISO/IEC Guide 59:1994, and ISEAL Credibility Principles) conduct annual and triennial audits; chain-of-custody audits enable wine-level certification. Complementary tools include the Climate Action Toolkit (cswaclimatetoolkit.org) for climate-resilience planning and the California Winegrape Dry Farming Potential Map built with LandIQ using precipitation, soil, and evapotranspiration data.

Revenue is diversified across donations, corporate sponsorships (website and Resource Library sponsorships start at $3,500 annually), government and foundation grants (CDFA, USDA NRCS, California Department of Pesticide Regulation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, PG&E, American Farmland Trust), and certification fees for vineyards, wineries, and individual wines. The go-to-market is industry-led: workshops, webinars, the biennial U.S. Sustainable Winegrowing Summit, the free Sustainable Winegrowing Ambassador Course, and the California Green Medal Awards (co-presented with seven partner organizations). CSWA employs six staff and is governed by a board of winegrowers, with technical direction provided by a 90+ member Sustainable Winegrowing Joint Committee.

Name

California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance

Legal name

California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance

Website

https://sustainablewinegrowing.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CSWA is a 501(c) nonprofit that administers the CCSW third-party certification and the California Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Workbook, serving California vineyards and wineries with education, certification, and sustainability reporting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Agriculture Certification

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

akta.pro primary industry

Vineyard Certification & Sustainability Programs (Organic, Biodynamic, Regenerative, GAP) (AFAGAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI), Certificate Transfer, Scope Expansion & Multi-site Certification Management (AFAMALAK)

Keywords

• Sustainable winegrowing certification
• Vineyard sustainability programs
• Wine industry education
• Climate action planning
• Agricultural certification services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: CSWA is a 501(c) nonprofit organization. Tax-deductible donations can be made online, via wire transfer, or by check. Donations support development of educational programs, resources, and tools to improve sustainability of the California wine industry.
2. Sponsorship Revenue: Sponsorship opportunities include California Green Medal Awards, U.S. Sustainable Winegrowing Summit, website and Resource Library sponsorships (starting at $3,500 annually), workshops/webinars, and special projects. Over 1,900 winegrowers, media, academics, and industry professionals receive monthly newsletter.
3. Government and Foundation Grants: Financial support from government agencies (California Department of Food and Agriculture, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, California Department of Pesticide Regulation, USDA Risk Management Agency) and foundations (National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, American Farmland Trust) funds specific sustainability projects.
4. Certification Fees: Certification fees for vineyards and wineries seeking CCSW certification. Fee guide available in the Resource Library.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

CSWA administers the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW) third-party certification program for vineyards, wineries, and wines, including annual self-assessments, third-party audits, and Chain of Custody verification. It supports the program with the California Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Workbook, the Climate Action Toolkit, the SWP Online Portal, and educational workshops, webinars, and summits. Certification enables vineyards and wineries to demonstrate verified sustainable practices to consumers and trade buyers.

Product overview

The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance offers a unified sustainability certification and education program for the California wine industry. The core offerings include the Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW) third-party certification program and the California Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Workbook as foundational tools. These are supported by the Sustainable Winegrowing Program Online Portal for self-assessments, the Climate Action Toolkit for climate resilience planning, and the California Winegrape Dry Farming Potential Map for water conservation. Educational offerings include the free Sustainable Winegrowing Ambassador Course and the searchable Resource Library of tools and case studies. The California Wine Community Sustainability Reports provide aggregated benchmark data. Together, these products enable vineyards and wineries to assess, implement, certify, and communicate their sustainable practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW): A globally recognized and widely adopted third-party certification program for vineyards, wineries and wines dedicated to producing quality winegrapes and wine while protecting the environment, people and businesses.
• Climate Action Toolkit
• California Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Workbook
• California Green Medal Awards

Products and services

• Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CCSW) Certification Program Globally recognized third-party certification program for California vineyards, wineries, and wines that verifies adoption of sustainable winegrowing practices through annual self-assessments, 85% minimum score thresholds, third-party audits (on-site every three years with desk audits in interim years), and Chain of Custody audits for wine certification.
• California Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Workbook Comprehensive self-assessment workbook for California winegrowers covering over 200 best practices across 15 chapters (151 vineyard and 113 winery practices), with a built-in category system to evaluate adoption levels. 5th edition released December 2025.
• Climate Action Toolkit Science-based toolkit providing information and implementation guides for wineries and vineyards to assess climate risks, prioritize climate-smart practices, track progress, and build climate resiliency in a changing climate. Winner of the 2026 V d'Or Award for Best Sustainability Initiative.
• Sustainable Winegrowing Program (SWP) Online Portal Online portal at swp.sustainablewinegrowing.org where vintners and winegrape growers complete self-assessments, generate customized reports, track improvements over time, develop action plans, and submit certification applications.
• Sustainable Winegrowing Ambassador Course Free, self-paced one-hour online course that provides certification in California sustainable winegrowing for wine industry professionals, trade, and consumers.
• California Winegrape Dry Farming Potential Map Interactive mapping tool developed with LandIQ showing dry farmed vineyard parcels and dry farming suitability across California, with layers for precipitation zones, acreage, average annual precipitation, Growing Degree Days, elevation, Available Water Holding Capacity, Average Root Depth, Evapotranspiration Zone, and management practices.
• Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing Wine Certification Certification for individual wines that allows use of the CCSW wine logo on labels and written certification claims, contingent on Chain of Custody audits verifying the wine was made in a certified winery using certified grapes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 223 certified wineries produce 214 million cases (90% of California wine)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner in Dry Farming Project funded by Department of Water Resources starting late 2023. Collaboration aims to build dry farming expertise, create grower resources, provide technical assistance, and develop case studies.
• Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) PlatformcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023CSWA achieved Gold Level equivalence against SAI Platform's Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) version 3.0, joining over 100 sustainability programs benchmarked against FSA.
• SCS Global ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2017Third-party auditor conducted extensive oversight evaluation confirming CCSW adheres to international best practices including ISO/IEC Guide 59:1994, ISO/IEC 17065:2012, and ISEAL Credibility Principles.
• Wine InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Co-founding partner with California Association of Winegrape Growers in establishing CSWA in 2003. Wine Institute represents California wineries and provides ongoing leadership, board representation (President Steve Gross), and industry collaboration on sustainability initiatives.
• California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Co-founding partner with Wine Institute in establishing CSWA in 2003. CAWG represents winegrape growers and provides ongoing leadership, board representation (President Natalie Collins), and technical guidance through the Sustainable Winegrowing Joint Committee.
• Sustainable Winegrowing Joint CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001Technical advisory body with over 90 grower and vintner members from Wine Institute and CAWG. Provides guidance for Code Workbook development, CCSW certification program, and sustainability reports.
• U.S. Sustainable WinegrowingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-state partnership with winegrowing organizations from California, Oregon, New York, and Washington representing 95% of U.S. wine production. Collaborates on promoting sustainable winegrowing and communicating industry commitment.
• California Green Medal PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEight organizations co-present the California Green Medal Sustainable Winegrowing Leadership Awards: California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, California Association of Winegrape Growers, Wine Institute, Lodi Winegrape Commission, Napa Green, Napa Valley Vintners, Sonoma County Winegrowers, and Vineyard Team.
• FIVSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational trade association representing all sectors of alcohol beverage industry. Developed Global Wine Sector Environmental Sustainability Principles aligning CSWA and other countries' sustainability programs.
• Regional Wine and Vineyard AssociationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Lodi Winegrape Commission (Lodi Rules), Napa Green, Napa Valley Vintners, Sonoma County Winegrowers, Vineyard Team (SIP-Certified), and other regional associations to provide education and recognition across California's sustainability programs.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Oregon Wine Board: State-level advocacy and promotion organization for Oregon winegrowers, part of the U.S. Sustainable Winegrowing partnership with CSWA. Adjacent in mission though not a direct certification competitor.
• LIVE (Low Input Viticulture & Enology): Pacific Northwest sustainable winegrowing certification covering Oregon and Washington vineyards. Comparable certification methodology but operates in a different geography.

Others

• SCS Global Services: Third-party auditor that has conducted oversight evaluations confirming CCSW's adherence to ISO/IEC and ISEAL standards. Acts as an enabling verification partner rather than competing certification body.
• SAI Platform (Sustainable Agriculture Initiative): Global food and beverage industry platform that benchmarks sustainability programs against the Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA). CSWA's CCSW achieved Gold Level FSA equivalence, making SAI Platform a benchmarking partner rather than direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Sonoma County Winegrowers: Industry-led sustainability advocacy and certification organization for Sonoma County vineyards. Comparable to CSWA in driving adoption of sustainable practices at a regional level.
• Vineyard Team (SIP-Certified): Administers the Sustainability in Practice (SIP-Certified) program for California vineyards. Direct peer running a third-party verified winegrowing certification with overlapping best-practices approach.
• Lodi Winegrape Commission (Lodi Rules): Administers the Lodi Rules sustainable winegrowing certification program for vineyards in California's Lodi region. Direct peer to CSWA's CCSW program with similar third-party verification, regional focus, and grower-led governance.
• Napa Green: Land use and winegrowing sustainability certification program for Napa Valley vineyards and wineries. Direct competitor in California sustainable wine certification with comparable third-party verified framework.

Broad incumbents

• Demeter Association: Certifies Biodynamic farming across multiple crops including wine grapes. Broader incumbent that overlaps with CSWA on vineyard sustainability but operates across all agriculture rather than specializing in wine.

Emerging players

• CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers): Organic certification body applicable to vineyards. Competes partially with CCSW for vineyards prioritizing organic certification over a broader sustainability standard.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CaliforniaSustainableWinegrowing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-sustainable-winegrowing-alliance

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance