Sustainable wine - another word for organic wine?
‘Sustainable’ is now a commonly used and fashionable word. It makes us feel we are doing the right thing to choose ‘sustainable’. More than ever before we are demanding transparency about how products we purchase and consume are made and where they come from, above all in the area of food and drink production. We understand more about what is healthier for us and what can actually harm us and we are all learning more about what we can do to protect our environment for the sake of future generations.
The term ‘sustainability’ is increasingly applied to food and drink production and this includes the wine industry.
However, as it relates to wine, do you know what it means? What would you like it to mean?
The word most people would probably link to ‘sustainable’ wine is ‘organic’. If something’s produced or farmed organically, then we feel it’s got to be good for me and good for the planet and we probably expect it to cost a bit more…
This is true, but there is more to the word ‘sustainable’ as far as wine is concerned - read on to find out more!
What is a sustainable wine?
Sustainable wine is actually quite a complex and confusing area – but progress is being made all of the time to clarify and certify to ensure that wines labeled as sustainable adhere to specific requirements and standards.
If you want to buy an organic wine because you know it’s better for you, then you are by definition buying a sustainable wine. A key component of both a sustainable wine and an organic wine is that it is made with fewer potentially harmful chemicals (phew!) and relying more on nature to create the wine. The world is now much more aware than in former years about the link between the use of pesticides, which were commonly used to control pests and diseases and to ensure a better harvest, with diseases such as cancer.
For winemakers to be able to claim their wines as sustainable, it is reflected in how they farm in the vineyards and make wine in the cellar, with respect and reliance on nature, rather than chemicals, to produce superior quality wines. This all leads to wines which are healthier for us, processes which are healthier for the farmer and of course a way of doing things which is much better for the local environment and eco-system.
However sustainability covers much more than minimising the use of chemicals - it is quite a complex and confusing area.
The key definition of a sustainable wine is that it’s made with fewer potentially harmful chemicals and nature is relied upon more to create the wine naturally, rather than human intervention. Fewer chemicals are used in the vineyards and fewer chemicals are added to the wine in the cellar. So by definition, buying a sustainable wine has to be better for us, right?
We would say yes, definitely, but it is also better for the environment, the planet and the industry…
When can a wine be labeled ‘sustainable’?
This isn’t an easy one to answer because the truth is there is no straightforward answer.
Wine sustainability refers to wines that have been produced, through the vine growing and winemaking process, with minimum intervention from the winemaker, minimum use of potentially harmful chemicals and with practices that are not only ecologically sound but also economically viable and socially responsible. So sustainable can also include areas such as how ‘green’ a winemaker’ is and in certain parts of the world, how guidelines around ‘Fairtrade’ are followed.
Certification - is the wine industry sustainable?
Unlike organic and biodynamic wines, sustainable certification is much less rigid when it comes to enforcing practices. Emphasis is on providing guidelines and recommendations for winemakers who have a responsibility to monitor, keep records and importantly, to be transparent. Increasingly we are seeing the introduction of country or association-specific guidelines – and this makes sense, as they need to relate to unique localised conditions or concerns, for example water preservation in Australia.
By way of an example, see below the ‘sustainability certification’ requirements as defined by the Austrian Winegrowers Association:
Evaluation of the wine estate by an external inspection company, with regard to production techniques in the categories of ecology (grape growing, vineyard systems, wine production), economy and social concerns in the vintage year just passed:
Production techniques will be evaluated, showing the establishment’s current sustainability status along with potential for improvement
The following measures are viewed as particularly positive:
Exclusion of chemical/synthetic pesticides, fungicides and herbicides
Promotion of biodiversity
Reduction of energy consumption
Reduction in the number of tractor passages through the vineyard
Partial or total abandonment of non-renewable energy sources
What does the future hold for sustainable wines?
Sustainability is a complex, developing area but something which many smaller, artisan wine producers are embracing because of the obvious quality, health, ecological, environmental and economic benefits.
In the same way that rules have been defined around ‘organic’ wine and ‘biodynamic’ wine practices, the use of the word ‘sustainable’ will become more regulated and transparent and countries will adopt their own certifications to support and manage this.
The journey towards ‘sustainability’ can be a long - and costly - one for wine producers, involving a complete transformation of their farming and winemaking methods and the lack of rigid certification for ‘sustainable wines’ makes it quite confusing. Currently winemakers have to pay to be certified as ‘organic’ – hopefully one day this will be reversed and in some way payment will be required to not practice organic techniques. It’s really tough for many winemakers to be able to make becoming ‘sustainable’ economically viable and wine quality and the environment can play second fiddle to volume and commercial gain.
However, that said, more and more winemakers are adopting a range of sustainable practices and support for those who wish to develop in this area is growing.
Where to find out more information
For more information and insights, visit Sustainable Wine
Conclusion
We believe sustainable wines are better for you, better for the environment and better for the wine industry and that is why we prefer to promote and work with wineries who put sustainability at the forefront and are committed to higher quality, healthier, more authentic wines, which are made respecting nature, not artificially made through adding chemicals and which help protect and sustain our environment.
There is no doubt though, that we are seeing increasingly more ‘sustainable’, ‘organic’ and ‘biodynamic’ wines become available, with general and specialist retailers stocking an ever-growing range. We fully support this and promote sustainable wines whenever we can!
