Viticulture
Sustainable viticulture
A broader framework covering water, energy, biodiversity, packaging and people.
Overview
Sustainability schemes take a wider view than organic certification: water use, energy, carbon, soil health, biodiversity, packaging weight and labour conditions.
They are generally less prescriptive about specific inputs and more focused on measured outcomes and continuous improvement.
Standards vary considerably between countries, and the term is not protected, so a "sustainable" claim without a named certification means little.
Glass is the largest component of most wine's carbon footprint, which makes bottle weight one of the most consequential and least glamorous sustainability levers available.
Sources
Sources consulted
- Wines of South Africa — WOSA
- Wine Australia — regions, GIs and market information — Wine Australia
More in the vineyard
Viticulture
Climate and wine style
The largest single influence on what a wine tastes like — larger than grape, producer or winemaking, and the reason the same variety is unrecognisable in two places.
Viticulture
Climate change and wine
Warming is already reshaping where wine is grown and what it tastes like.
Viticulture
Harvest and picking decisions
When to pick — the single most consequential decision a producer makes each year.