Sustainability is on the minds of a lot of companies these days, and we are proud to be part of the movement among Oregon wineries to practice environmentally responsible farming and winemaking.
Our Larkins Estate Vineyard is LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) certified, and our custom winemaking facility was the first in the state of Oregon to earn this designation.*
But being sensitive to the land and living things around us isn’t just about earning a plaque for our wall. It fosters a constant awareness of how we utilize resources and a new perspective about our goals, both short and long term. We believe these are good things.
Our sustainable practices actually improve the quality of the product we deliver, help maintain the long-term viability of our agricultural lands and others around us, and contribute to the overall economic and social well being of our employees and neighbors.
Globally, our efforts make a very small impact. But up close — in our tiny neck of the woods and in the hearts and minds of everyone connected to Dobbes Family Estate and Wine By Joe — it makes a world of difference.
*The OWB (Oregon Wine Board) has created a certification process to help consumers recognize businesses that are meeting the highest environmentally safe standards in their processes. LIVE is a third-party organization, approved by the OWB, that sets criteria and a certification process for wineries and vineyards. Once the criteria are met and sustained, OWB will allow wineries to add a seal of certification to their labels, OCSW (Oregon Certified Sustainable Wine). The criterion is that a single-vineyard wine or cuvée wine must derive from 97 percent LIVE-certified fruit and be produced in a LIVE-certified facility. Using the OCSW seal of approval is assurance that wines are produced using a world-class winemaking process in a certified facility that is focusing on waste reduction, environmental safety and energy conservation.
