There’s an app for just about everything these days—and now, sustainable wine on Long Island is no exception.
Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing (LISW) has just announced the launch of its official app, “LISW — Certified Vineyards.” Made possible by a grant from the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, the application is free and compatible with both Android and iPhone. The app is beautifully designed to deliver information about LISW and sustainability in general.
Its key feature, however, is a Google map. The in-app map includes every certified vineyard on Long Island and links seamlessly with other navigation apps, making it easy for users to plan their own adventures on the Long Island sustainable wine trail.
“When we organized LISW in 2012, we spent all of our time developing the program and guidelines,” says Richard Olsen-Harbich, winemaker at Bedell Cellars and co-founder of LISW. “It took a tremendous amount of work on the part of many people to put the information together and make it all happen. We never spent any time on outreach and marketing as it wasn’t what our organization was all about. After a few years, people wanted to know more about it and then learn about the dedicated growers and winemakers that were taking part. More people are becoming interested in LISW every year and we’re often asked about who is involved and where they are. We decided over a year ago to provide more outreach and thought about producing a paper map, but most thought an app would be more effective, as well as more sustainable by saving paper. The NYSWGF agreed and provided the grant money for us to accomplish this.”
Screenshots from inside the LISW app
Take one look at the app and you’ll see it was money well spent. It’s attractive, fast, and easy to navigate. In addition to the aforementioned Google Map, the app also includes a scrollable directory of every certified sustainable vineyard on Long Island, as well as video content related to LISW.
“Technology like this – as well as our website – has provided us the platform where we can publish large amounts of information without going to paper,” says Olsen-Harbich. “Visitors to the region can see who is participating in the program and plan accordingly if they’d like to visit member wineries and vineyards. We’re a not-for-profit organization that’s helping growers to farm sustainably – something that is extremely important to our region now as well as into the future. We hope more farmers will follow!”
To download the app on an iPhone, click here. Android users can download the app here.
