Sustainable Wine

In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable Member Interview podcast, I’m joined by Maja Sonesson, founder and CEO of Journy, a digital product passport (DPP) platform designed for the wine industry.  We discuss how DPPs can support the wine sector, from improving communication and transparency to enabling compliance and more efficient reporting. Maja shares insights into the opportunities for producers,...

In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable Member Interview podcast, I’m joined by Rollo Gabb, CEO and owner of Journey’s End Vineyards in South Africa’s Stellenbosch. We discuss the wide-ranging sustainability initiatives underway across the business, including energy efficiency, water conservation, lighter-weight bottles, soil regeneration and biodiversity protection. Rollo also shares Journey’s End’s...

In this From the Roundtable episode, I’m joined by SWR's Toby Webb, Dr Peter Stanbury, and Delaney Sheridan to reflect on SWR's fifth year anniversary. We reflect on our progress to date, looking back at where we started and what we set out to do, and how that has evolved over time. With a focus on our key action areas, we review our achievements so far and discuss what's coming next.

In this From the Roundtable episode, I’m joined by SWR's Dr Peter Stanbury and Delaney Sheridan. This month's conversation is largely centered around the importance of regional specificity in sustainability. From a brief update on our latest work in Standards Benchmarking , to the launch of SWR's Sustainable Vineyard Practice Survey , we discuss why granular, region-specific insights and feedback...

In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable Member Interview podcast, I’m joined by Antonio Bertone, CEO and co-founder of Alileo Wines.  Alileo strikes an interesting balance between old and new, offering natural wines produced using traditional methods, but packaged in a less conventional way. Their Sicilian varietals such as Grillo and Zibibbo are available in both bag-in-box format as well as 20L one-...

In this From the Roundtable episode, I’m joined by Dr Peter Stanbury who provides an update on his recent visit to Bordeaux, where SWR and CIVB co-hosted an event focused on seasonal employment in the wine sector. We discuss Bordeaux's collaborative approach, practical actions other regions and vineyards can replicate, and how this feeds into SWR’s broader work on labour standards .

In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable Member Interview podcast, I’m joined by Filipe Carvalho, head of business development at Tree Flower Solutions (TFS), a Portuguese biotech startup that develops natural preservatives for the agri-food industry. We discuss Chestwine, TFS’s innovative sulfite alternative made from chestnut male flower tannins. Filipe addresses common misconceptions about sulfites,...

In this From the Roundtable episode, I’m joined by Dr Peter Stanbury and Luke Mobley to discuss SWR’s work in packaging. We cover why packaging is such a big topic when it comes to sustainability in the wine industry, the recent global policy developments driving change, and how SWR’s Packaging Choice Tool can help producers with their packaging strategy and decision-making. A foundational report...

ISO Certification might not be a popular dinner party topic for most people, but if anyone can convince you otherwise, it's managing director Jose Bishop from A Good Certification Group (formerly Certification Oceania). In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable Member Interview podcast, we explore how ISO management systems can move beyond box-ticking to drive real improvement. From the role of ISO stan...

In this From the Roundtable episode, I'm joined by Toby Webb and Dr Peter Stanbury to discuss SWR's recent decision to combine some efforts from our Labour Standards and Sustainable Viticulture Protocol workstreams under the umbrella of The Sustainable Vineyard . The existing work and plans in each action area won't change - rather they will work together where relevant and appropriate. This appro...

In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable Member Interview podcast, I’m joined by Gad Pettersson, head of sustainability and product quality at Systembolaget. As part of its ambitious decarbonisation plans, the Swedish alcohol monopoly is leading a Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) initiative. The aim is to be able to measure, compare, and ultimately reduce the climate impact across its full product range....

In the first From the Roundtable episode of the year, I'm joined by Dr Peter Stanbury and Delaney Sheridan to discuss what lies ahead for SWR in 2026. Following an incredibly fruitful year, we've got big plans ahead of us, from finalising standards benchmarking to launching the Sparkling Bottle Weight Accord. Peter and Delaney share our key priorities for 2026, what members should look out for thi...

In the final From the Roundtable episode of 2025, I’m joined by SWR’s Toby Webb, Dr Peter Stanbury and Delaney Sheridan to reflect on the year. We review what we set out to achieve, what we've accomplished, and where we're headed in 2026. From sustainability standards and packaging, to sustainable viticulture and labour conditions, find out how SWR is continuing to tackle the tough sustainability...

In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable Member Interview podcast, I’m joined by Luke Tyler, marketing and sales director, and Matthew Deller MW, CEO of Wirra Wirra . Located in South Australia's McLaren Vale, the winery exemplifies what the region is well-known for: premium red wine and a strong commitment to sustainability. Wirra Wirra has a long history of sustainable practices, with current initiat...

In this episode of From the Roundtable, I’m joined by SWR’s Delaney Sheridan and Dr Peter Stanbury to share some updates – and clear up a few misunderstandings – about lightweighting sparkling wine bottles. SWR is developing a new Sparkling Bottle Weight Accord, building on the success of the still wine  Bottle Weight Accord  (BWA) launched in 2023. We discuss the progress of the BWA so far, what...

In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable Member Interview podcast, I’m joined by Shae Courtney, national quality and sustainability manager for Coles Liquor at Coles Group in Australia. As one of Australia’s largest drinks retailers, Coles Liquor has the capacity to drive change at scale across its supply chain. Packaging is a central focus for the group, with initiatives underway in lightweighting, re...

In this episode, I’m joined by Jane Masters MW and Andrew Neather to discuss their new book, Rooted in Change: The Stories Behind Sustainable Wine. Published earlier this month, the book explores how sustainability and wine intersect across the entire value chain. From grape to glass, they delve into the environmental, social, and economic challenges, opportunities, and innovations shaping the win...

I caught up with SWR colleagues Delaney Sheridan and Dr Peter Stanbury to talk about the Sustainable Viticulture Protocol (SVP), a framework designed to help growers demonstrate sustainable practices in the vineyard. The SVP supports the transition from intensive chemical use toward regenerative practices, while accounting for the different conditions across regions. Recently, SWR partnered with W...

In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable Member Interview podcast, I’m joined by Nicolas Daspres, technical director at Terra Vitis , and my colleague Dr Peter Stanbury, SWR’s head of research. Terra Vitis, a French sustainability certification for winegrowers, was recently covered in the SWR’s second round of Standards Benchmarking . This benchmarking process, structured around the Global Reference Fr...

One of the SWR's key action areas is the Sustainable Viticulture Protocol (SVP), a principles-based framework to help with decision-making around chemical use, acknowledging that growing conditions vary considerably across regions. The SVP will be the centre of an on-going change management process away from intensive chemical use in the wine industry, towards a more sustainable, carbon-positive v...

SWR's Tobias Webb recently visited Colorado and discovered how a thriving wine region is developing, the sustainability issues they face, and what's next for high desert wine. In the last of three podcasts, he speaks with Cassidee Shull, executive director, Colorado Association for Viticulture & Enology (CAVE). Cassidee shares how the region has developed over the last few decades, the importa...

SWR's Tobias Webb recently visited Colorado and discovered how a thriving wine region is developing, the sustainability issues they face, and what's next for high desert wine. In the second of three podcasts, he speaks with Dr Charlotte Oliver, state viticultural extension specialist at Colorado State University. They discuss the challenges faced by winemakers in the state, how research is helping...

SWR's Tobias Webb recently visited Colorado and discovered how a thriving wine region is developing, the sustainability issues they face, and what's next for high desert wine.  In the first of three podcasts, he speaks with Nick Games, owner of Maison La Belle Vie in Palisade, Colorado. Located 1,500m above sea-level, Nick shares the peculiarities of growing grapes at a high altitude, the environm...

With more than 40 sustainability certification schemes across the global wine industry, comparing them can be complex and often confusing. To bring clarity, SWR is leading a benchmark of global wine sustainability standards to help buyers, growers, and consumers understand where these standards align and where they differ. Following the  successful pilot last year​ , the second round of benchmarki...

In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable Member Interview podcast, Hanna Halmari is joined by Anna Nardi, director and brand ambassador at Perlage Winery in Veneto, Italy. The family-run business is known for its high-quality Prosecco and for pioneering organic viticulture in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG region. Sustainability and innovation have been at the heart of the winery’s philosophy since...