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Sustainability at Dineen Vineyards

by Marissa Dineen

 “Dineen Vineyards is a family enterprise that we want to pass down to future generations. To do that, we farm with minimal input from chemicals & pesticides AND we focus on soil health. In 2002, when establishing Dineen Vineyards, we were concerned about soil legacy effects from chemicals used in the 1950’s & 1960’s. We tested soils and had no residual effects, but we committed to constantly improving it. From great soils come great grapes and wine, that is our mission.” - Pat Dineen, founder

Sustainability has long been infused into the Dineen Vineyards culture and business practices. Sustainable winegrowing means farming that is environmentally and socially responsible, while remaining economically viable. For us, being sustainable isn’t about checking the boxes, it’s a practice of intention and commitment to constant improvement.

At Dineen Vineyards, sustainability is a team effort and everyone’s ideas have made a difference helping us to be more and more green. We take this approach because we take the long view - to preserve this land for our business for future generations of our family, and to ensure that the families of our employees are nurtured through their generations.  It is the right thing to do.

Here are just some of the things we do to benefit our land, our neighbors, and the planet:

  • Fruit Quality: We aim to produce the best quality of fruit possible because we care about our farm, the grapes & our customers.
  • Soil conservation: Healthier soils will produce better quality grapes and therefore better wine. We improve our soil by natural methods, such as cover crops and the use of compost. We aim to reduce the use of herbicides and avoid synthetic fertilizers.
  • Water Conservation: We regularly monitor soil moisture, the plants and the weather and irrigate the vines only when needed. We also ensure that run-off doesn’t create issues for surrounding community.
  • Vineyard Management: We continually improve farming practices to make them more environmentally sound, socially just, and economically viable; for example, reducing tractor passes.
  • Safe Pest Management: We monitor block by block to catch any issues before they have a chance to progress and utilize integrated pest management to encourage natural predators.
  • Social Equity: We consider quality of life issues for our team and neighbors in the community. This is one of the most important aspects of sustainability for our operation. We have a great team and we provide them with a work environment that is safe and fun. We are proud to have continuity of our people from year to year!

Dineen Vineyards is among the first in the state of Washington to have our Estate Vineyards certified under the rigorous standards of Lodi Rules and now the newly established Sustainable WA program. These certifications signify a third-party audited commitment to rigorous, scientifically sound sustainable winegrowing covering over 100 sustainable practices. See photos below for some practical examples.

Sustainable Wine Dineen Vineyards

Dineen Vineyards is permitted to label our wines as Certified Green under the Lodi Rules starting with the 2020 vintage and Sustainable under the Washington program from 2022 onwards. A wine must contain 85% Lodi Rules certified grapes to bear the Lodi Rules Seal and 70% certified grapes under the Washington Program. As an estate winery, we are 100% certified.

Shop our Certified Sustainable Wines HERE.

For more information on the certification standards, please visit:
These owl boxes house owl families; they can hunt >1200 rodents annually Wacky wind machines scare away birds during harvest

We encourage birds of prey, such as eagles, hawks and kestrals, to create habitats. They keep rodents and birds in check

Beneficial insects hunt insects that can vector disease; pictured here a lacewing larvae attacking a mealy bug which spreads grape leaf roll virus
We use drones to drop beneficial insects over our vines. Our skilled crew is the heart and soul of our operation - we make it a great place to work! Happy crews, happy & healthy vines!
We use water probes to ensure just the right amount of water gets to the vines; preserving this precious resource Cover crops between the rows prevent soil erosion, keep insects on the ground & away from the fruit as well as serving as compost when we mow & mulch 

 

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