1)      LODI RULES for Sustainable Winegrowing is California’s original third party certified sustainable winegrowing program. The winegrowing sustainability program started in 1992 as a Grassroots IPM program. The sustainable winegrowing standards were first certified in 2005, thoroughly revised in 2013, and edited for clarity and consistency in 2017.

2)      LODI RULES takes a comprehensive approach to farming that goes beyond just pest management. The program promotes practices that enhance biodiversity, water and air quality, soil health, economic viability, and employee and community well-being.

3)      Certification is awarded annually and has two components: Over 100 LODI RULES standards and the Pesticide Environmental Assessment System (PEAS), or pesticide risk tool. The sustainable winegrowing farming practices are organized into six chapters: Business Management, Human Resources, Ecosystem Management, Soil Management, Water Management, and Pest Management. Growers are audited annually by a third party to verify their farming practices. The PEAS system measures the total impact of all organic and synthetic pesticides used during the year. Growers may not exceed a maximum number of points calculated using PEAS.

4)      All sustainable winegrowing farming practices have been peer-reviewed by scientists, members of the academic community, and environmental organizations before accreditation by Protected Harvest.

5)      Protected Harvest has received Consumers Union’s highest rating as an eco-label certifier.

6)      The LODI RULES program is designed to lead to measurable improvements in the environmental health of the surrounding ecosystem, society-at-large, and wine quality.

7)      Approximately 46,000 acres will be “Certified Green” across eleven California Crush Districts in 2017. Over 25 wineries produce wines bearing the LODI RULES or CALIFORNIA RULES seal.

8)      A bottle of wine produced with at least 85% grapes from certified sustainable vineyards can bear the LODI RULES or CALIFORNIA RULES seal on the label.

9)     Research from UC Davis suggests that LODI RULES growers go above and beyond when it comes to sustainability. Growers participating in the LODI RULES program implement a higher percentage of sustainable viticulture practices in their vineyards compared to non-certified growers.