Gundlach Bundschu gains sustainability certification for regenerative farming

Gundlach Bundschu Winery has received sustainability certification from the nonprofit Regenerative Organic Alliance, which takes an all-encompassing view of environmental health and preservation.

The regenerative organic certified status serves as proof of the Gundlach Bundschu’s commitment to the environment and protect soil health and wildlife, treat farmworkers fairly and use organic farming practices, according to the ROA.

“ROC has become a framework for us to lean into because it formalizes what we’ve been trying to do here for the last 165 years, with a focus on future land and climate preservation,” said Jeff Bundschu, president and CEO of the Bundschu Company, in a press release.

The regenerative organic certified status is two-pronged. It first requires wineries to obtain a nationally-recognized organic certification through abstaining from chemical pesticides, genetically modified produce and synthetic fertilizer. Then, a winery must demonstrate soil health, animal welfare and “social fairness” for farmworkers through living wages and health working conditions.

“When we got clued into what regenerative organic certification was about, the fact that it extended beyond farming practices to the overall ecosystem, and would further enhance our carbon sequestration rates, that was really attractive to me,” Bundschu said in the press release.

Having secured California Certified Organic Farmers certification for its crops in 2022, according to CCOF’s website, Gundlach Bundschu set its sights on demonstrating soil regeneration, healthy working conditions and wildlife preservation.

The winery achieved certifications for soil and social welfare in October 2023, led by sustainability manager Meghan Murphy, who said Gundlach Bundschu pursued the certification because of its holistic, science-based view of sustainable farming.

“Many certifications just tell you what you can and can’t do,” Murphy said in the press release. “But ROC requires you to look closely at the biggest elements of your land, how they fully function together as one, and how one piece can’t be successful without the other.”

Gundlach Bundschu director of winemaking Joe Uhr said the thoughtful, sustainable farming of grapevines is key to Gundlach Bundschu’s longevity 165 years after its founding.

“The family really has this one estate, though it is a large one at 320 acres,” Uhr said. “When you own a vineyard, and it's for that long, you can’t just kind of pick up and move it somewhere else if the conditions are unfavorable.”

Uhr described the agricultural industry as “ground zero” for the most important issue in his lifetime is climate change. To continue Gundlach Bundschu’s legacy of producing high-quality wines requires conscious action today, he said.

“It's something we all have to do in this industry. You have to lean into sustainability if we're going to survive,” Uhr said. “We've seen how fast climate change has affected this industry and changed the way we make wine, changed the way we farm. And if we don’t do something now, this whole fragile industry is going to go away.”

Plus, it makes for better wine, Uhr added.

Bundschu hopes the certification will be a model for other wineries to follow as farmers become more aware of the challenges of a changing climate and the actions needed to protect California’s wine country.

“We couldn’t have had a family business for six generations without functioning sustainably,” Bundschu said. “Our communities and the ecosystem are dependent on the earth functioning sustainably, and ROC is the means for us do our part, while hopefully setting an example for other wineries and farmers of all types who want to preserve land and climate for the generations to come.”

Chase Hunter is a staff writer for the Sonoma Index-Tribune. Contact him at chase.hunter@sonomanews.com.