Sustainability in the wine industry involves environmentally friendly practices in the way wines are farmed and packaged
Most of us do our best to live a purposeful and present life, aware of our impact on other people and planet Earth. We strive for a sustainable and conscious life. We exercise and eat organic or plant-based foods, to take care of ourselves as well as the planet. Unless you’re Donald Trump, you know climate change is real and not something scientists made up.
As a wine aficionado, I thought I was already doing the world and my waistline a service by sticking strictly to drinking wine. Wine is the most organic drink available, so what else can a girl do to take care of the planet and still enjoy her tipple?
Enter the world of sustainable wines.
September 26 is World Environmental Health Day and a great opportunity to talk about sustainable wines and why they matter. The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity now and in the future. The 17 goals recognise that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic, and environmental sustainability, all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.
In support of the SDGs, organisations around the world are making decisions to ensure their practices are sustainable. What we eat and drink has an immense impact on the future of this planet, and as such we have to be discerning consumers. It’s important to know how your favourite pinotage is made.
South Africa is leading the world in the production integrity of wines. According to the Integrated Production of Wine Scheme, South Africa introduced guidelines on sustainability as early as 1998. More than 95% of the growers and cellars stick to guidelines. These guidelines are constantly improved and independent auditors audit farms and cellars. If the farms pass the audit, they can use the new sustainability seal.
Sustainability in wine has a few implicatons.
- First is environmental practices – how the grapes are farmed, the soil health, the use of pesticides, land regeneration and packaging.
- Second is the social impact of production – how farm workers are compensated and supported and whether production has a positive or negative impact on the community.
- Third is the economic outlook of the winery itself – whether it’s set up in a way that ensures a long-term future.
There are numerous reasons to drink sustainable and organic wines:
- A healthy vineyard requires less intervention to produce good wine.
- Established organic vineyards are more drought resistant and thus require less water.
- The lack of chemicals is much better for the human body, as well as for the immediate environment and biodiversity at large.
There are various seals used to mark wines that have passed environmental and health practices. One of these, the Fairtrade seal, was introduced to ensure a better deal for growers and small-scale producers in developing countries. Fairtrade seeks greater international trade by ensuring better prices to small-scale farmers, enforcing decent working conditions in farms and supporting sustainable production and protection of the environment.
“Wine is possibly the greatest agricultural product there is. It possesses an ethereal capacity to transcend time, enhance gastronomy, become collectible, and nourish the soul. To ensure that we have many great wines in the centuries to come, sustainability is of growing importance for fine wine and its consumers,” says James Pietersen, the chief executive of online wine merchant Wine Cellar.
It sourcing local and international wines and offers specialised wine storage facilities in Observatory, Cape Town. Wine Cellar is also the South African home of some formidable international producers who’ve made people, planet and prosperity their ethos. These include Chapoutier, an organic pioneer, and biodynamic producer since 1991; Drappier, the first carbon-neutral Champagne house; Querciabella, a vegan producer since 2000; and Clemens Busch, an organic pioneer in the Mosel in Germany, who converted to a biodynamic model in 1984.
Next time you shop for wine, take the time to check the label for the sustainability and Fairtrade seal. Shop for sustainable wines on www.winecellar.co.za