Sustainable Winegrowers

There are as many types of winegrowers as there are wines, which is to say that each company and vintner has their own unique style and signature process they use to create their specialty. The most skilled vintners are intimately familiar with their ingredients, from the vineyard to the winery.

This is perhaps even more applicable to sustainable winegrowers, who often go the extra mile to ensure their vineyard and wineries are as natural and ecologically friendly as possible.

Understanding Sustainable Winegrowers

Sustainable wine is usually a label applied to a wine that is produced from a vineyard that uses little to no synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, or fungicides. Additionally, sustainable vineyards often reduce their water consumption and their impact on the environment in a variety of other ways.

They are also usually required to treat their employees at a higher standard, with more humanitarian and workers rights.

Different regions have different regulations defining what they consider to be natural, sustainable, or organic wines. These terms are often protected, so consumers in a given region know what to expect from the wines they purchase.

For example, in the United States, a wine is only classified as ‘organic’ when it is made from organically grown grapes and does not include added sulfites. However, in the European Union, a wine can be considered organic when it is made from organically grown grapes alone. In the European Union, sustainable winegrowers may add sulfites, but in limited quantities that do not meet the range used by non-organic winegrowers.

Although these regulations differ between regions, most sustainable winegrowers reduce their environmental impact considerably relative to their local colleagues. While many countries and regions produce signature wines, there are a few places where wine is a well-known product and export. This includes California, France, and Australia.

Sustainable wine is usually a label applied to a wine that is produced from a vineyard that uses little to no synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, or fungicides.

California, United States

California consistently ranks among the top wine producers in the Americas. Known for producing some of the newest sweet port-style and jug wines, California is also the fourth-largest producer of wines internationally.

In terms of sustainability, California has also gotten ahead of the curb through organizations such as the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, which helps spread awareness and information about sustainability.

Consumers interested in supporting sustainable wine in California need only purchase from a Certified California Sustainable Winery, of which there are over 170. Tablas Creek Vineyard of Paso Robles is one such winery in California.

Founded in 1989, Tablas Creek Vineyard has operated under sustainable initiatives since before ‘sustainability’ became a weighty marketing term.

France

Internationally recognized as the home of sophisticated wines, France has a long history of wine growing that lends its wines considerable weight in the industry. The leading sustainability initiative among French wineries is the Haute Valeur Environnementale, which offers three levels of sustainability that it assigns to winegrowers seeking certification.

However, to its credit, the Haute Valeur Environnementale maintains strict standards, and only the most sustainable wineries ever attain the top level. They focus on biodiversity, pesticide use, fertilizer use, and water management.

Those interested in supporting sustainable wines may seek out vintners in France from areas like the Bordeaux wine region. This area produces the most sustainable wine selections in the country, offering wines that live up to both the standard of the French wine industry and the global sustainability movement.

Australia

The leading national program guiding the sustainability movement among Australian vintners is Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. This program helps vintners learn about sustainability and create actionable plans that allow them to gain certification.

With this certification, they may add protected terms and logos regarding sustainability to their marketing and labeling. An important thing to note about sustainable winegrowers in Australia is the fact that this movement has taken off and become part of the mainstream in the region. In fact, Australian vintners are aiming to become completely sustainable in the near future.

One of Australia’s most beloved sustainable wineries, McLaren Vale’s Gemtree Wines, takes sustainability to the next level. Using all-natural alternatives to solve their vineyard’s problems, they go so far as to use flocks of sheep for pesticide and weed control. Those looking to support sustainable wines in Australia need not look further than wineries like Gemtree Wines.

Actionable Takeaways

• Sustainable winegrowers are a staple of all major wine industries, found in leading regions like California, France, and Australia.
• Sustainable winegrowers can be found and confirmed through their regions’ certification programs.
• Sustainable wine growing is the future of the industry, with many projecting it to take over in the coming decades.