The Sustainability Code is a tool that is voluntary in nature, focused on incorporating sustainable practices in wine growing companies, on the basis of requirements in three complementary areas: green (vineyards), red (wineries. and bottling plants) and orange (social). Its objective is to promote the benefits of a sustainable production of grapes and high quality wines, and to encourage grape producers and wine makers to improve their management by meeting the requirements stipulated in the standard.
To comply with the Codes requirements, the vineyards must have an environmental and social management system which, at least, meets current national legislation, independent of the complexity of their operations.

The Code’s requirements fall within a long-term vision based on the combination of environmental, social equality and economical viability principles. There are critical requirements which have to be complied with (highlighted in red on the checklists) and non-critical or general requirements.
By fulfilling the Code’s requirements, the companies that enter the certification system can show their management capacity to reduce potential environmental and social risks caused by the activities involved in wine production. What is finally “certified” is the company’s management and not the end product.

The Code is applicable to all types of wine companies, whatever their production scale and set-up may be. They may be integrated wine companies, vineyards or Grape producers (See Chapter 6 – Definitions). At the same time, the individual certification of grape producers and facilities related with wine production, such as wineries and bottling plants, is also considered. Independent of the type of company, the Sustainability Code should help to:

1. Plan, implement, operate, maintain and update a management system, set-up to provide products that come from sustainable management;
2. Introduce changes in the way their suppliers work and improve the relationship with the communities around their production units;
3. Improve communication with their clients and interested parties belonging to the wine production chain;
4. Continuously improve their management to obtain and maintain their certification.

The Code establishes requirements in three main areas of the production chain, which have been identified considering the reality of the wine growing sector:

There is a sole compliance Standard that contains the three areas and a Checklist by area with scores for each requirement. The checklist verifiers are referential and, therefore, do not represent a formal requirement of the certification process. These verifiers only serve as reference to those who have to implement and evaluate the Code, being able to comply with the standard’s requirements, by other means.