Ron Rubin Winery Earns B Corp Certification
Ron Rubin Winery in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley becomes the latest winery to join the growing B Corp Certified movement. Established by B Lab in 2006, the B Corp community is a non-profit network dedicated to “harnessing the power of business and balancing profit to transform the global economy for the benefit of all people, communities, and the planet.”
B Corp Certification entails operating according to rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. This includes participation in policies, tools, and programmes aimed at shifting company behaviour, culture, and structure to create a regenerative economy.
The company says that some changes it has made to become more sustainable include:
- Water use monitoring and conservation
- Solar energy
- High-efficiency LED lighting installed in 2016 to replace sodium halide lighting
- Water availability monitoring in soils, limited irrigation based strictly on the needs of vines
According to Mark Greenspan of Advanced Viticulture, “Ron Rubin Winery has installed a new Ranch System weather station and sensor network. The teams in place will be able to monitor and address specific needs of the vineyards, such as tracking the micro-climates of this 10-acre vineyard along with monitoring soil moisture profiles for irrigation scheduling purposes . . . providing only the amount of water required by the vines without waste and for optimum wine quality from the vineyard.”
With the addition of Ron Rubin Winery, the B Corp network now numbers 5,538 for-profit companies in 84 countries and 157 industries. Wineries account for 24 companies within the B Corp community.
Earlier this year, Maker’s Mark earned B Corporation Certification, making it the largest distillery in the world and the first in Kentucky’s Bourbon Country to achieve the distinction, which recognises companies working to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. The B Corp Certification signals a major milestone in the brand’s environmentally conscious mission to “Make Your Mark. Leave No Trace.”
Source: Environmental Leader
