Frequently Asked Questions

How do I become an EntWine Australia Member?

Preliminary Member

• 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

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 $450 (payable every 3 years)
• Freshcare certification management fee $140 (payable at audit every 3 years)

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 as EntWine Australia only focuses on your scope 1 and 2 emissions. 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?

 

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:

1. To have capacity to supply EntWine Australia accredited wineries
2. Becoming a member of a recognised national environmental practices community highlights your commitment to the environment
3. Improves the image of your vineyard to neighbours and regulators
4. 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?

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Vineyards in South Australia are being encouraged to participate in the Wine Sector Agreement for carbon accounting, which requires reporting with the carbon calculator.