Sustainable Winegrowing in Victoria
Victorian grapegrowers and winemakers are putting sustainable practice to work in ways you can see.
In the vineyard, that shows up in healthier soils, more life in and around the vines, and water used with greater care. In the winery, it’s about doing things better, not just differently — reducing waste, improving efficiency and being more considered in how energy is used. Through Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (SWA), businesses are measuring what matters and building a clearer picture of what works. Across Victoria, that evidence is starting to stack up.
What is Sustainable Winegrowing Australia?
SWA is a national program designed to help wine businesses understand and improve their performance across key environmental and business risk areas.
Through a structured data survey and self-assessment workbook, members can:
- Monitor key sustainability indicators
- Track year-on-year progress
- Benchmark against industry data
- Identify areas for operational improvement
The program also offers certification, providing independent verification of sustainability performance and access to the SWA trust mark for use in marketing materials.
How to join Sustainable Winegrowing Australia in two steps
Step 1. Register with Sustainable Winegrowing Australia
It is free to register and participation is open to all grape growers, winemakers and wine producers in Victoria. There are three registration options available -
- Vineyard
- Winery
- Wine business *
* Note: a wine business registration is for wine producers who partner with winemakers and grapegrowers to create their wines.
Some winemakers and grapegrowers may find they need to create multiple memberships under one registration to accommodate for their business model. For example, producers who own a winery and vineyard will need a membership for each.
Step 2: Progress to Sustainable Winegrowing Australia membership
All registrations must be approved by AWRI before participants can commence the membership process. Once approved, registrants will be able to see the steps required to progress.
There are two key components for new registrants to complete:
- Data Survey
- Self-Assessment Workbook
The Data Survey captures key operational and sustainability data, while the Self-Assessment Workbook allows participants to review and assess their current practices. Together, these provide a comprehensive view of sustainability performance and indicate readiness to progress towards SWA certification.
Upon completion of these components, an invoice for membership will be issued. Once the data has been submitted and the invoice paid, participants will undergo a final approval process.
Victorian members can be viewed via the SWA Member Register.
Explore Resources by Program Focus Area
The following focus areas underpin the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia digital data book and self-assessment module required to be completed to become a SWA member. These resources provide a practical starting point for producers who would like to better understand their reporting requirements as part of the program.
Pathway to Certification
Wine Victoria is committed to supporting Victorian members through:
- Education sessions
- Regional training coordination
- Peer knowledge-sharing
- Case studies of local SWA members
- Field Days and technical workshops
Wine Victoria is proud of our members achievements in sustainability and will continue to highlight practical, innovative, Victorian based initiatives of sustainability in action.