Certifications, like currencies, are only worth what backs them. As the global wine industry moves deeper into the age of sustainability — where organic, regenerative, and certified-sustainable labels crowd the shelf and compete for the conscience of the consumer — the question that will separate the meaningful from the merely decorative is a simple one: how rigorous and applicable is the standard? At Sustainable WA, we believe the answer begins not with marketing, but with science. And science, in this program, has a name: the Technical Committee.

While the Governance Council sets the program's direction and auditors walk the vineyard rows evaluating growers in the field, it is the Technical Committee that keeps the standard honest. These are the people who ask the hard questions: Does this requirement reflect current research? Is this language workable for a 5,000-acre mechanized operation and a 40-acre family vineyard alike? Does the science still say what we thought it said five years ago?

The committee's membership reflects the full breadth of what serious winegrape certification demands. WSU Extension viticulturists and plant pathologists bring peer-reviewed research on canopy management, pest biology, virus disease, and soil health. Active growers — some managing large mechanized operations, others tending smaller estate vineyards — provide the practical reality check that keeps the standard workable rather than merely aspirational. Regulatory and compliance specialists ensure that the language around pesticide safety, worker protection, and materials use stays current with state and federal law. Together they span the full range of disciplines the standard touches: water management, soil health, viticulture, pest and disease management, materials handling, and whole-farm ecosystem stewardship. It is a formidable bench.

This most recent review cycle — spanning three working groups, dozens of hours of Zoom sessions, and reams of written feedback — produced 30 specific recommended changes to the standard, touching everything from how growers report nutrient applications to how leafroll disease monitoring is defined in scoring criteria. The committee's work directly shapes what certified growers are asked to do and how their practices are evaluated each season. In a world where the word "sustainable" risks becoming as hollow as any other marketing term, the Technical Committee is what keeps it from happening here.

To every member who gave their time, offered insight when the language wasn't right, and brought their expertise to bear on the unglamorous work of getting it right — a sincere thank you. The standard is better for it. And so is every grower who carries the Sustainable WA Certificate.

Brian Muegge - Farm Program Manager, Salmon Safe

Catherine Jones – Viticulture and Specialty Crop Advisor, Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness

Chad Steiner – Owner/Farmer, Chelan Valley Farms

Dr. David G. James – Associate Professor of Entomology, Washington State University

Ella Vincent – Assistant Vineyard Manager, Rawn Farm Management

Julie Tarara – Research Program Manager, Washington State Wine Commission

Lenora Jones – Pesticide Registration Supervisor, Washington State Department of Agriculture

Dr. Markus Keller – Professor of Viticulture, Washington State University

Michelle M. Moyer, PhD. – Professor of Viticulture, Washington State University

Parker Fannin – Viticulturist, Wyckoff Farms Inc

Serena Roberge-Gordon – Owner/Winemaker/Grower, De La Luz Wines

Stevie-Jean Bergen – Viticultures, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates