Sustainable viticulture is a hot topic in the wine world. Wineries from Italy to Australia and everywhere in between are jumping on the sustainability bandwagon by making changes that help reduce their carbon footprint in order to help stop climate change and preserve natural resources for future generations.

Today is Earth Day and here at The Wine Chef we are celebrating wineries that are actively working all year round to preserve our earth’s precious habitats.

Sustainability. What Does it Mean Exactly?

The UN World Commission on Environment and Development defines sustainability as, “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” But how does that translate into making wine? One example of sustainable wine growing is organic farming—if a wine’s label states that it is certified organic, you know that at the very least no synthetic chemicals were used in the vineyards or cellar.

But wines labeled ‘sustainable’ can have many different meanings, depending on the region where it is made. For example, Napa Valley’s certified sustainability programs include SIP Certified and Napa Green, whereas Portugal’s Alentejo wine region promotes a voluntary membership program known as WASP, which addresses environmental and social concerns. And while consumers can find information about the various programs online, it does take a bit of effort to figure out what the “sustainable” sticker on a bottle actually stands for.

Typically the concept is thought of solely in environmental terms and, justly so. But a 360-degree view of sustainability takes into account the balance between the earth’s natural habitat and other factors, like the community and its cultural and economic heritage.

“In its simplest terms, sustainability is about our children and our grandchildren and the world we leave them,” says Sandra Taylor, founder of Sustainable Business International, and author of The Business of Sustainable Wine. “It is the integration of environmental health, social equity and economic vitality.”

During the 9th annual Women in Wine Leadership Symposium (October, 2020), Taylor led an enlightening webinar discussion with four women in wine: Giulia Migliorati from Valle Reale, Heather Fraser from Yalumba, Belén Iácono from Catena Zapata and Andrea León from Lapostolle who are helping to create thriving, diverse and resilient communities for this generation and those to come.

Biodiversity in the Vineyards

The term ‘biodiversity’ refers to all life on earth: the abundance of different fauna (animal life) and flora (plant life), fungi and microorganisms that co-exist and create a balanced environments. In the vineyards, the smallest living organisms play a very important role in the life of the vine and the four panelists spoke about biodiversity as an important component of sustainability.

“We are introducing species, like bees, that will encourage good biodiversity and provide a natural way to protect our vineyards,” says Fraser, winemaker at Yalumba and Hill-Smith Family Vineyards in Australia’s Barossa Valley. “These pests take away any predators and stop the vineyard from having issues that will require us to spray.” Growing cover crops between vine rows also improves biodiversity by decreasing erosion and increasing organic matter. “The cover itself becomes a natural habitat for several beneficial species, like the bees,” says Fraser.

Another winery taking measures to create biodiversity is Valle Reale, located in the green heart of Italy’s Abruzzo region. The winery’s vineyards are situated inside one of the country’s most beautiful national parks.

“A few years ago,” says Giulia Migliorati, Valle Reale’s export manager, “we converted the entire organic estate to biodynamics. We decided to do so because we think it’s important to conserve our beautiful and uncontaminated environment.” Biodynamic agriculture doesn’t apply any treatments to the vines, and Valle Reale only cultivates native varieties that are able to carry the grapes to maturation without much help.

Valle Reale’s land includes a wild paradise of deep glacially-carved gorges, crystal clear springs and a wide array of flora and fauna. At the foot of Valle Reale’s Capestrano vineyard lies a pristine spring that flows to the Tirino river. Having a … — Valle Reale’s land includes a wild paradise of deep glacially-carved gorges, crystal clear springs and a wide array of flora and fauna. At the foot of Valle Reale’s Capestrano vineyard lies a pristine spring that flows to the Tirino river. Having a spring next to a vineyard favors biodiversity, the growth of plants different from those found on the mountains in the Park. *Photo: Valle_Reale on Instagram*

The wolf on the winery’s label reflects Valle Reale’s support of a native Italian wolf repopulation program. The species was nearly extinct due to hunting, and now there are 300 wolves in the area.

Catena Zapata, one of the oldest and most respected wineries in Argentina, is also a leader in the development of sustainability protocols. Belén Iácono, chief agronomist of the winery’s world-renowned Adrianna Vineyard, says that a science-based approach to biodiversity is used to study and create a more resilient ecosystem that will last for many years.

“The Catena Institute of Wine was founded in 1995 by Laura Catena with the purpose of science to protect nature and culture,” says Iácono. “For years, we’ve been working on research and most of our studies have been done in the Adrianna vineyards because it’s a very important vineyard for us. The concept of ecosystem services is very important. It’s basically nature giving you solutions. It could be to preserve or restore, but in the end you will need less input in the vineyards, like fertilizer or pesticides, to make a healthy ecosystem.” The winery’s philosophy is that by keeping the vineyards full of life, nature can be expressed through the wines.

One example of their commitment to biodiversity is the extensive study on soil microbes. They discovered that certain bacteria living in the roots of the vines allows the plants to consume less water, and that if you protect these microorganisms by keeping the soils alive and healthy, you can use less water and less pesticides.

Catena Zapata’s Adrianna Vineyard, where each inhabitant, like this horse, helps preserve the biodiversity of the vineyards. Photo: @catenawines on instagram — **Catena Zapata’s Adrianna Vineyard, where each inhabitant, like this horse, helps preserve the biodiversity of the vineyards.** *Photo: @catenawines on instagram*

Reducing Water Usage in the Vineyards

Water is necessary in the winemaking process from crushing to bottling, and managing drought can be particularly challenging. Sustainable wineries find innovative ways not only to reduce water usage but also to recycle and reuse this precious natural resource.

“As a wine grower and as part of the community, water is the base of life,” says Andrea León, Winemaker and Viticultural Technical Director of Chile’s Lapostolle and Clos Apalta wineries. “Chile has a crazy, long slim shape and the middle of the country, where we grow all our produce, has a dry season from September to April. So all of our activities are during the growing season when there is rain. The desert is a big issue for wineries in Chile. We are blessed with a little more rain during the season but we still need to collect the rain and use it wisely.”

At Lapostolle, Sheep and Alpacas graze in the vineyards, a sustainable way to improve the structure and fertility of the soil, and to cut the grass, replacing the use of machinery and reducing the risk of fires in the summer. Photo: @lapostollewines… — At Lapostolle, Sheep and Alpacas graze in the vineyards, a sustainable way to improve the structure and fertility of the soil, and to cut the grass, replacing the use of machinery and reducing the risk of fires in the summer. Photo: @lapostollewines on instagram

At Valle Reale, Migliori tells us that, with sensitivity to the water supply, they hope to be there for many more generations to come. Dry Farming (as opposed to irrigating the vineyards) is one way the winery is working to ensure its longevity, with an added benefit of making better tasting wines.

“We started with our old vines which are naturally able to reach the water table by going deep into the ground,” she says, “The practice of dry farming is reflected in the quality of the wines because it makes wines that are more related to the place of origin.”

In addition to conserving water, sustainable wineries must take into consideration the effect that vineyard treatments have on the local community’s water supply. “The Park is one of the main sources of water for Central Italy,” says Migliorati, “and this water source goes just above our vines and any excess treatments to the vine would affect the water. The water is bottled for human consumption and so we have to be really careful.”

“In our region water is a scarcity, and we’ve had to develop and establish what works in different sites within our community,” says Fraser of the dry conditions in Barossa Valley. “We’ve been looking at things like mulching where it’s possible to maintain any bits of water we do get. We do a lot of work with establishing drought-tolerant rootstock and using that to do replanting. And also clonal and site selection is important — putting the right varieties in the right locations. We also use cover crops that require less water so they’re not in competition with the vines for water.”

Hand-picked pinot grigio. Photo: Yalumbawine on Instagram — **Hand-picked pinot grigio**. *Photo: Yalumbawine on Instagram*

On Community and Cultural Heritage

During the seminar, Taylor noted that we don’t talk enough about the preserving of culture and heritage.“Often when we’re talking about sustainability, we’re talking about the environment, biodiversity, and climate change, but it’s also about social responsibility,” says Taylor. During the webinar, the four panelists talked about how their wineries support the well-being of their employees and communities.

Catena Zapata, as a family-owned company, runs several important programs that support their team and give back to the community. “For two years, people from different wineries in our area got together to make a sustainability document,” says Iácono and Adrianna was the first vineyard to be certified in 2013. The document consists not only of different aspects of vineyard operations and winemaking, but also includes the staff, neighbors and community.”

Catena has developed programs to improve the quality of life in rural areas, with a project designed to introduce young people to the wine industry as a potential employer. “When kids from rural areas graduate from high school they go to the urban areas to find work, and they aren’t seeing vineyard work as an option,” says Iácono. “We are working with the secondary school in Uganto to bring the kids to the vineyards, show them the day-to-day work, and offer an internship for the summer.”

In addition to initiatives made for the community, Catena has many different programs for their team. “We offer scholarships to our hospitality and marketing team to further their sommelier education,” says Iácono, “and we have brand ambassadors and salespeople who are enrolled in WEST wine study. We also have a program to train our staff in cooking and service as well as language courses.”

The winery also runs a summer program for children of vineyard workers, whose mothers usually stop working to take care of the children when school is out. “The kids learn to swim, they do sports, they have lunch there and their mothers can come back to work,” says Iácono, “so it’s a way to empower women and to have the children in a safe environment.”

Valle Real winery also preserve the area’s culture and tradition by giving young people opportunities to stay and to work. “We are located in the inner part of the Abruzzo region and our area has few people, with only a few very small villages,” says Migliorati. “We have a fantastic natural environment but there is not much infrastructure and there are no companies for young people to go and work after graduation so many go to cities like Rome to find jobs. But not everyone can live in big cities, and we also need people in the provincial areas. Wine is tradition and culture. It tells the story of our fathers and if everybody’s leaving then there’s no possibility to carry on the tradition and culture of the generations before us.”

At Yalumba, a strong focus on community and the workforce is not an option. “We’ve been in this site for over 170 years,” says Fraser, “and without a thriving community we can’t go forward to the next several generations. We have multigenerational people who work for Yalumba and we believe that, as part of that, we have to maintain a strong and healthy workforce for the future.”

In addition to their own workforce, Yalumba recognizes the growers they purchase grapes from. “We believe our growers are an extension of the Yalumba family so we include them in a lot of programs. They are basically ambassadors for our brand because they know where the grapes grow and they are just as passionate about making great wine as we are. They are a part of our community and deserve to be recognized just as our employees are.”

At Lapostolle, León says that Chile’s sustainability code includes includes all the people who work in the vineyards which are a main driving force for the winery and the key to the quality of its wines.

“We love wine and we want to make the best, most authentic wines that reveal the terroir,” says León, “but winemakers often talk only about the land and the climate, and it can be too technical. We must not forget the human soul in it. Simple things like pruning require so much energy and love from the workers and they need to be treated fairly.”

Economic Sustainability and the Effects of Covid

All four panelists agreed that producers of premium wines, like the wineries they work for, were hard hit by the Covid pandemic. With the worldwide closing of restaurants and winery tasting rooms, and more people drinking entry level wines, overall sales for higher-end wineries have plummeted despite an increase in online sales growth. The four women all mentioned the importance of keeping a positive outlook while looking for innovative ways to grow their wineries’ business.

“Wine is social, it brings us together,” says León. “It could take four to five years to get back to the level we were at in 2019. It’s a great challenge but it will make us stronger. We will take more care of many details that we took for granted before.”

“We are trying to be positive,” adds Iácono. “and to use the time we have now that we didn’t have before, when we were traveling and accepting visitors to the winery, to innovate and create new things.”

“We’ve had to adapt,” says Fraser. “A lot of our markets are export so it’s a new way of life with more online communication. It’s a bit of a challenge, yet also a bit of a success story because people have gone outside their comfort zones and we’re learning and adapting and growing. Hopefully we’ll come out of Covid as a stronger industry with more ideas and better innovation.”

Cheers to Positivity and Respecting the Earth’s Resources

On this Earth Day, April 22, 2021, let’s raise a glass and toast wineries, like these four, that are working to preserve our planet by creating diverse and resilient lands and communities, strong businesses, and of course, great wine for us and for future generations.