Frequently Asked Questions
How do I become an Entwine Australia Member?
Preliminary Member
- Select a certification scheme and commence the certification process
- Submit Entwine Australia Preliminary Membership Registration Form including carbon calculator data and Entwine Australia Indicator data to the WFA
- Pay Entwine Australia membership fee
Member
- Become certified to the Default certification scheme (Freshcare Environmental) or equivalent and submit evidence to the WFA
- Submit Entwine Australia Membership Registration Form including carbon calculator data and Entwine Australia Indicator data to the WFA
- Pay Entwine Australia membership fee
Note: vineyard operators are not required to submit a carbon footprint form
I've done my Freshcare training. How do I become a member of Entwine?
Having completed Freshcare training you can register to become a preliminary member of Entwine Australia. Simply fill in the membership and payment forms online. You will then receive a letter informing you of your membership number and will have up to two years to become a full member.
Registering as a full member is just as easy. When you have finalised your certification and completed the audit process send notification to the WFA, who will upgrade your status. You
will not need to pay an additional fee when going from preliminary to full membership as the fees are the same and apply for the financial year.
Note: You are not required to become a preliminary member before becoming a full member. You can send in a full membership form and payment once you have gained certification.
I manage several vineyards. Do I need to register them individually?
Entwine Australia membership is linked to your certification and will depend on ownership and location of the business. An explanatory document that looks at the membership scenarios for different business types can be found below. If you are uncertain about registering a business as an Entwine Australia member please contact the WFA for advice.
Entwine Australia Membership for Different Business Type’s (Pdf)
What is the difference between Entwine Australia and Freshcare Environmental?
Entwine Australia is the wine industry’s national environmental assurance program. Freshcare Environmental is one of the certification schemes that can be used to meet the requirements for Entwine membership. The other is ISO14001.
There are fees involved with joining Entwine Australia and becoming certified to Freshcare Environmental.
Entwine Australia
- Membership Fee to WFA for maintaining the Entwine Australia Program (annual)
Freshcare Environmental Certification
- Training fee provided to the Freshcare trainer (once off)
- Audit fee provided to the Auditor (Tri annual)
To become a member of Entwine Australia operators need to:
- Become certified to a WFA approved certification scheme (Freshcare or ISO14001)
- Report annually to the WFA on natural resource indicators
- Report annually on carbon footprint (wineries only)
So I’m an Entwine member. Now what?
Becoming a member of Entwine Australia is just the beginning. Members need to ensure they meet the necessary standards to maintain their membership.
Preliminary members will need to continue to work towards achieving certification as well as recording all of the environmental data that is required for annual reporting. You can hold preliminary membership status for up to two years. Once you have achieved certification your membership will be transferred from preliminary to full at no additional cost.
Full members will need to continue recording data for Entwine reporting and adhere to all elements of their certification. All fully certified Freshcare members will be required to undergo an audit three years after their initial audit, in order to ensure adherence to the codes. During this three-year period ensure accurate record keeping highlighting compliance with the code.
Both preliminary and full members will need to report and pay membership fees to the WFA each year. The next renewal period is in June/July 2011. Reminders will be sent out closer to this date.
How much will it cost to become an Entwine Australia Member?
Members and Preliminary Members pay an annual fee of:
- $400 + GST for wine companies that are not members of the WFA
- $100 + GST for wine companies that are members of the WFA
- $100 + GST for wine grape growers
Certification costs will vary dependant upon the scheme used. For the Freshcare Environmental Codes, indicative costs are as follows:
- Freshcare Environmental training costs - these will vary depending on the trainer that is used, whether or not training occurs in a group session or on a one-on-one basis.
- One-on-one site visit with trainer - these will vary depending on the trainer, travel costs and time spent on site
- Audit cost of around $400-$700 (payable every 3 years)
- Freshcare certification management fee $154 (payable at audit every 3 years)
The cost of an audit is set by the individual Certification Bodies, and can vary based on your location or timeframe of the audit. Each Certification Body should be contacted directly for detailed cost information and to provide a quote on the services required.
Note: Certification costs are indicative only and are subject to change.
Why does the WFA need to record my carbon footprint/Entwine Australia Indicators information and what will it be used for?
The WFA will be collecting the carbon footprint and Entwine Australia Indicator information from members in order to monitor the progress of the industry. The information will be kept strictly confidential and will be used to show aggregated trends or an overview of the industry as a whole. This information will allow comparison of previous years environmental performance and could be used to compare against other industries.
Do I need to report water/energy/fuel use in my Entwine Australia Indicators for all of the activities on my property?
Report data for resources used in managing the vineyard and/or running the winery. There is no need to report on other activities that you undertake on the property such as growing other crops, maintaining gardens, brewing operations or running catering facilities.
Whilst separately metering these resource uses may not be possible, it is acceptable to take the total number and estimate the percentage used on the vineyard and or winery.
Should fuel use by contractors on my property be included in my EntWine Australia indicator data or my carbon footprint?
For your indicator data; report on all resource uses in maintaining your vineyard or winery and producing your grapes or wine, including the fuel used by contractors who assist with that activity.
For your carbon footprint; emissions that arise as a result of contractors activities on a property are considered to be a ‘scope 3 emission’ and should not be included in your carbon footprint data. However if you purchase the fuel that is used in the contractor’s vehicle then this is considered a scope 1 emission and needs to be included.
I already have an existing Environmental Management System; do I need to use the Freshcare Environmental system in order to become certified?
If you already have an existing environmental management system in place you may not need to adopt the Freshcare Environmental system, provided your system is accepted by the WFA as an approved environmental certification system. For more information on gaining approval for your system visit our certification page.
How do I find out if a wine brand, wine company or vineyard is an Entwine Australia member?
The Entwine Australia website offers member and preliminary members the opportunity to highlight their environmental credentials through the EntWine Australia Membership Register. Here you can search for wineries, vineyards, and your favourite brand to see if they are EntWine Australia members.
What are the benefits of being a member of Entwine Australia?
- Provision of independently certified environmental credentials
- Improved marketing opportunities
- Sustainable practices that ensure long-term future
- Improved environmental management
- Assurances of best environmental practice to domestic and international markets
- Recognition of current environmental management systems under one national scheme
- Access and use of the Entwine Australia logo
- Free Entwine Australia Farm gate sign
- Access to members only resources
- Access to members only updates
How does Entwine Australia compare to other Environmental Management Programs?
Entwine Australia has been developed with wineries and vineyard operators in mind. The system is a national scheme so it needs to be flexible whilst still containing some prescriptive elements that encourage improvement. The WFA has endeavoured to keep costs to a minimum in order to encourage as great an industry uptake as possible. The scheme cannot be as rigorous or specific as some regional systems however it is considered to be comparable to that of our international competitors.
What does it mean if a company is an Entwine Australia Member?
This means that the company is conforming to a strict national environmental code and are taking steps to record and improve their environmental management activities. All Entwine Australia members are third party audited in order to maintain a high level of accountability.
What does Entwine Australia mean?
The name Entwine Australia was developed in conjunction with the Wine Industry National Environment Committee and the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation. In developing a name for the wine industries national environmental program there were three main concepts that needed to be incorporated (Environment, Wine and Australia
Entwine Australia links the words ‘environment’ ‘wine’ and ‘Australia’ into a name that conjuring notions of protection and wrapping and reflects the goal of harmoniously combining environmental outcomes with the production of wine. Additionally the name describes the growth pattern of vines on the trellis and the tendrils of the vines.
Why would a vineyard join Entwine Australia if not required by wineries they supply?
A vineyard that is not required by wineries to become an Entwine Australia member can gain a number of benefits from joining the scheme such as the following:
- To have capacity to supply Entwine Australia accredited wineries
- Becoming a member of a recognised national environmental practices community highlights your commitment to the environment
- Improves the image of your vineyard to neighbours and regulators
- Conducting recognised sustainable practices on your property you will reduce the risk of environmental problems, any associated direct costs and bad publicity.
As a carbon footprint is not required for vineyard reporting under Entwine Australia, why would a vineyard use the carbon calculator?
Vineyard operators should consider using the Australian Wine Carbon Calculator for the following reasons:
- For those interested in identifying opportunities to cut costs, such as electricity and fuel bills, a better understanding of energy use can be gained by using the calculator.
- Some wineries may be interested in putting a carbon neutral label on bottles, or putting a carbon lifecycle assessment into place, and they would need this sort of information from vineyards.
- Vineyards interested in carbon neutrality either as a contribution to cutting greenhouse emissions or as a marketing proposition for grape sales, can use the calculator as a starting point.
- Vineyards in South Australia are being encouraged to participate in the Wine Sector Agreement for carbon accounting, which requires reporting with the carbon calculator.