Sonoma Wine Company Receives ISO 22000 Certification

International quality management and food safety certification raises the bar on quality services

GRATON, CA March 7, 2011- Sonoma Wine Company’s (SWC) American Canyon winery received ISO 22000 certification last week making them the first US winery to achieve ISO 22000, the international standard of food safety in the ISO quality management series.  “Quality management systems streamline operations, reduce costs and stimulate innovation in operational practices” says Dennis Carroll, President of Sonoma Wine Company.  “It is about continuous improvement and best business practices, hot button topics that dovetail nicely with our sustainable business goals” adds GM, Ed Silva.

With the exception of larger wineries that have active import and export programs, the US wine industry by and large has not complied with international standards for quality management certifications. SWC, as the largest contract winery service provider on the north coast, is positioning itself to offer contract services to wine producing countries that look favorably on these certifications or, in the case of Australia for example, require certification in order to receive and package their bulk wine. “There is a business opportunity for us to attract import bulk-to-bottle programs from countries whose import programs are at a disadvantage due to exchange rates. Shipping bulk is more efficient and can be more cost effective than shipping finished cased goods,” notes Natasha Granoff, Director of Business Development.  “And it is equally attractive from a lower carbon footprint perspective.”

This certification is further demonstrative of SWC’s industry leadership in best business practices, environmental stewardship, and sustainability. It follows a year rich with impactful milestones for SWC, including the installation of a groundbreaking solar cogeneration system at the Graton, California facility this past November.

About Sonoma Wine Company

Sonoma Wine Company provides unparalleled grape-to-bottle winemaking capabilities in Northern California.  The integration of custom winery services offers one-stop-shopping for virtual and existing wineries including crush to-bottle, tank and barrel storage and services, box wine and keg wine filling, case goods warehousing, private label and direct to consumer fulfillment . Their Sonoma and Napa county facilities produce more than five million cases of wine annually for 30 clients.  Over the past few years, Sonoma Wine Company’s focus on resource conservation and efficiency resulted in significant reductions in water and fossil fuel use while garnering recognition from many agencies including PG&E and the EPA for establishing a greenhouse gas emissions inventory in 2005.