How To Identify If The Wine You Buy Is Clean And Sustainable
Today, more than ever, we are bombarded by messages that urge us to change our habits to not compromise our future on Earth. And rightly so, we're facing significant challenges, the most urgent is climate change, and every little action counts. If you are a wine lover, you can contribute in different ways while enjoying a glass of a good Chardonnay, and here's how.
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What Is Sustainable Wine?
Sustainable wine is considered to have in some way a reduced, neutral, or even positive impact on the environment and society in general. You've probably heard of organic wines, but there are many more ways that wineries aim to contribute to this goal.
Organic Wines
Organic wine is made with grapes that grow in vineyards, in which the usage of chemical products is limited. Alternative methods are used to protect the fruit and the vine from parasites and natural predators (whether they may be fungi or bugs). There are different certification bodies for organic wines in the world. It is compulsory to state the legend "Made with organic grapes" on the label in the US.
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Natural Wines
Natural wine is one in which its production and fermentation process is left to flow at the rhythm of nature, with minimal intervention of the winemaker, without extensive processing (often unfiltered), and without adding extra stabilizers (sulfites). These are "new wave" wines, there are no official bodies to accredit them, but you will surely see "natural wine" or "made naturally" on the label. Do not be put off if the color is a bit cloudy; it is a natural consequence of not being filtered.
Vegan Wines
You might think, "What do you mean by vegan wines? Aren't all wines made from grape juice?" However, to obtain a clear and clean wine without natural residues, the liquid goes through different clarification and filtering processes. It is not uncommon to use animal proteins, for example, from eggs, to accomplish this process.
In the case of vegan wines, vegetable proteins (from peas or potatoes) are used to achieve the same results. There are different certification bodies for vegan wines. You will identify that wine is vegan because the corresponding symbol will appear on the back label. However, more and more wineries are dropping animal proteins for good, even if they don't show the certification on the label.
Biodynamic Wines
Biodynamic agriculture was devised in the 1920s by Rudolf Steiner. It's a holistic philosophy of working the vineyards, which goes one step beyond the use of natural pesticides and fertilizers, taking into account the biodiversity of the environment and even the influence of the stars and the planets. There is a certification for biodynamic wines, which you will find on the back label of the wines.
Sustainable Packaging
We create tons of waste every day, so all industries are seeking alternative packaging that is less aggressive to the environment, including the wine industry. Some examples of it are light glass bottles and recyclable bottles, aluminum cans (which can be recycled endlessly), Bag-in-Boxes made from recycled materials; every day, you see new proposals on the shelf. But make no mistake, the fact that you find your wine in an alternative packaging does not lessen the quality! You can find the universal recycling logo stamped on the package in most cases.
Reduced Or Zero Carbon Footprint
Any of the above contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of the wine industry, but there are other activities that wineries do that can contribute to it; such as an exhaustive control and saving of water or chemicals used in the different processes, generation of electricity through photovoltaic panels, use of more efficient and less polluting vehicles, using fair trade grapes, or collaborating with a social or environmental cause, amongst others. Therefore, sometimes you will see the relevant certifications on the back label.
Fortunately, we are starting to be more aware of what we have to do in order to take care of the world we live in. The wine industry is no exception. The industry needs to take good care of the land, the environment, and the farmers to secure its future. The wineries make a great effort daily to offer quality products without destroying the countryside that farmers and winemakers love so much. Without it, they would not be able to offer their excellent products.
You can choose organic, vegan, biodynamic wines, and sustainable packaging. Still, it’s important to investigate the producers' own websites, which will tell you more about their philosophy and how they interpret the world around them. They will also help you be a little bit more knowledgeable on the different initiatives they contribute to leaving the world a better place.
Today, more than ever, we are bombarded by messages that urge us to change our habits to not compromise our future on Earth. And rightly so, we're facing significant challenges, the most urgent is climate change, and every little action counts. If you are a wine lover, you can contribute in different ways while enjoying a glass of a good Chardonnay, and here's how.
What Is Sustainable Wine?
Sustainable wine is considered to have in some way a reduced, neutral, or even positive impact on the environment and society in general. You've probably heard of organic wines, but there are many more ways that wineries aim to contribute to this goal.
Organic Wines
Organic wine is made with grapes that grow in vineyards, in which the usage of chemical products is limited. Alternative methods are used to protect the fruit and the vine from parasites and natural predators (whether they may be fungi or bugs). There are different certification bodies for organic wines in the world. It is compulsory to state the legend "Made with organic grapes" on the label in the US.
Natural Wines
Natural wine is one in which its production and fermentation process is left to flow at the rhythm of nature, with minimal intervention of the winemaker, without extensive processing (often unfiltered), and without adding extra stabilizers (sulfites). These are "new wave" wines, there are no official bodies to accredit them, but you will surely see "natural wine" or "made naturally" on the label. Do not be put off if the color is a bit cloudy; it is a natural consequence of not being filtered.
Vegan Wines
You might think, "What do you mean by vegan wines? Aren't all wines made from grape juice?" However, to obtain a clear and clean wine without natural residues, the liquid goes through different clarification and filtering processes. It is not uncommon to use animal proteins, for example, from eggs, to accomplish this process.
In the case of vegan wines, vegetable proteins (from peas or potatoes) are used to achieve the same results. There are different certification bodies for vegan wines. You will identify that wine is vegan because the corresponding symbol will appear on the back label. However, more and more wineries are dropping animal proteins for good, even if they don't show the certification on the label.
Biodynamic Wines
Biodynamic agriculture was devised in the 1920s by Rudolf Steiner. It's a holistic philosophy of working the vineyards, which goes one step beyond the use of natural pesticides and fertilizers, taking into account the biodiversity of the environment and even the influence of the stars and the planets. There is a certification for biodynamic wines, which you will find on the back label of the wines.
Sustainable Packaging
We create tons of waste every day, so all industries are seeking alternative packaging that is less aggressive to the environment, including the wine industry. Some examples of it are light glass bottles and recyclable bottles, aluminum cans (which can be recycled endlessly), Bag-in-Boxes made from recycled materials; every day, you see new proposals on the shelf. But make no mistake, the fact that you find your wine in an alternative packaging does not lessen the quality! You can find the universal recycling logo stamped on the package in most cases.
Reduced Or Zero Carbon Footprint
Any of the above contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of the wine industry, but there are other activities that wineries do that can contribute to it; such as an exhaustive control and saving of water or chemicals used in the different processes, generation of electricity through photovoltaic panels, use of more efficient and less polluting vehicles, using fair trade grapes, or collaborating with a social or environmental cause, amongst others. Therefore, sometimes you will see the relevant certifications on the back label.
Fortunately, we are starting to be more aware of what we have to do in order to take care of the world we live in. The wine industry is no exception. The industry needs to take good care of the land, the environment, and the farmers to secure its future. The wineries make a great effort daily to offer quality products without destroying the countryside that farmers and winemakers love so much. Without it, they would not be able to offer their excellent products.
You can choose organic, vegan, biodynamic wines, and sustainable packaging. Still, it’s important to investigate the producers' own websites, which will tell you more about their philosophy and how they interpret the world around them. They will also help you be a little bit more knowledgeable on the different initiatives they contribute to leaving the world a better place.
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