SUSTAINABILITY

With the building of its gravity-flow winery in September of 2007, Torii Mor emphasized its commitment to environmental preservation. Our commitment to sustainability has awarded us two special achievements: LIVE Certification and LEED Gold Certification. In addition we have continued our promise and become Salmon Safe and Oregon Certified Sustainable.

LIVE, Inc. (Low Input Viticulture & Enology) Established in 1997, Low Input Viticulture & Enology, Inc. (LIVE, Inc.) is a program providing vineyards and wineries official recognition for sustainable agricultural practices that are modeled after international standards. LIVE’s certification process, which balances the needs of the worker, consumer and environmental health along with economic sustainability, is the result of an ongoing dialog between academics, growers and evvironmentalists. Certification is awarded after three years of successful participation in the program. Torii Mor’s estate vineyard and winery were certified LIVE in 2009.

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council as a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for high-performance, sustainable building.

Torii Mor Winery is one of a handful of LEED Gold Certified wineries in the United States. It integrates many design features which allow it to greatly reduce its’ environmental impact and obtain the strict “Gold” Certification: gravity-flow winemaking capability, solar-assisted power, energy-efficient heating and cooling, and wastewater reduction, to name a few. Torii Mor was awarded this certification in 2010 following a long application and certification period.

In March of 2010, Torii Mor’s winery facility received 42 points from the U.S. Green Building Counsel (USGBC) designating it a LEED Gold Certified building. To achieve this level of certification, specific criteria and guidelines must be met:

  • Sustainable Site Development – The roof of the winery has a low “Heat Island Effect” impact due to the Photovoltaic System that is installed and the metal roofing used, which has a low Solar Reflectance Index.
  • Energy Efficiency – A 47.5kW Photovoltaic System was installed on the roof to optimize energy performance and create on-site renewable energy.
  • Water Savings – Low gpm (gallons per minute) aerators were installed to reduce overall water usage by 30%.
  • Material Selection – Recycled content was used in the building materials wherever possible and helped reduce construction waste by 60%.
  • Indoor Environmental Quality – Only low-emitting paints and coatings were used inside the winery during and after construction to meet Indoor Air Quality Performance standards.
  • Gravity Flow Winemaking – By utilizing the natural slope of the land, Torii Mor is able to diminish the use of pumps during winemaking and henceforth reduce energy usage.
  • Native Plants – By planting foliage that is native to the region, water consumption is limited by eliminating the need for irrigation.

SALMON SAFE is a non-profit, independent organization based in Portland, Oregon dedicated to restoring and maintaining healthy watersheds so that salmon can spawn and thrive. Our commitment to non-irrigated viticulture and restricted usage of chemicals, fertilizers and chemical pest control contributed to the certification of Torii Mor’s Olson Estate Vineyard in the SALMON SAFE program in 2009.

Oregon Certified Sustainable Wines (OCSW) is a 3rd party organization that certifies specific wines carrying the OCSW stamp are produced using strict, accountable methods of sustainable farming and winemaking technique. Wines from Torii Mor’s Olson Estate Vineyard, including Reserve Pinot Gris and Olson Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir were certified and allowed to carry the OCSW stamp on their label starting in the 2009 vintage.