Sustainable Wine

The wine sustainability landscape is incredibly fragmented, with more than 40 different standards in use globally. How do these standards compare? Where do they align, and how do they differ? The Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) is tackling this complexity head-on through its Standards Benchmarking action area. Each year, SWR will evaluate all wine sustainability standards against the Global Refe...

The glass bottle is often the single largest contributor to a wine's carbon footprint, sometimes accounting for more than half of it. In response, the Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) began researching the lightweighting of still wine bottles a few years ago. This work led to the development of the Bottle Weight Accord (BWA), launched in 2023. Under the Accord, participants commit to reducing the...

In this latest From the Roundtable podcast episode, I'm joined by my SWR colleagues Toby Webb, founder and executive director, and Dr Peter Stanbury, head of research. We discuss the story behind the SWR - the how, why, when and where behind the formation of the roundtable. Toby and Peter share insights into the SWR's origins, the progress we've made so far, and our plans for what's next. If you’r...

It’s no secret that packaging makes up a significant proportion of wine’s carbon footprint. SWR’s research indicates that roughly half of the carbon impact of wine can be attributed to the glass bottle. Whilst many producers are working on light-weighting bottles (see the SWR Bottle Weight Accord ), some are also exploring alternative packaging formats. In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) Me...

How can producers make informed packaging choices that take into account not only environmental impacts, but also financial, practical and consumer considerations? The SWR's Packaging Choice Framework is an upcoming tool that aims to provide evidence-based insights to help guide producers in their packaging decisions. In this latest From the Roundtable podcast episode, SWR's Dr Peter Stanbury, hea...

In this  Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) Member Interview podcast, Hanna Halmari speaks with Holly Ellis, people and culture manager, and Molly Newport, wine buyer, from Ellis Wines . The wine merchant recently became the first in the UK to power its delivery fleet with sustainable Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel. Holly and Molly share insights into the carbon impact of wine distribution a...

SWR's Hanna Halmari recently caught up with colleagues Dr Peter Stanbury, head of research, and Delaney Sheridan, operations manager, for a brief conversation about the Global Reference Framework (GRF). The GRF underpins all of the SWR's action areas, and in this short podcast, Peter and Delaney explain what the GRF actually is, how it was developed, and its importance in the work of the Roundtabl...

In this  Sustainable Wine Roundtable  (SWR) Member Interview podcast, Hanna Halmari speaks with Valentina Lira, director of sustainability for Concha y Toro in Chile.   As one of the world’s ten largest wine companies, Concha y Toro has a unique opportunity to drive significant environmental change - and it’s not wasting any time doing so. The company has accelerated its net-zero target to 2040, a...

2024 was an extraordinary year of  collaboration, growth and impact for the SWR. We’ve entered the new year with momentum, excitement, and big plans ahead of us! In this SWR update podcast, I speak with Dr Peter Stanbury, head of research, and Delaney Sheridan, operations manager, to find out more about our 2025 plans and what members can expect over the coming months. If you’re interested in join...

The SWR's Bottle Weight Accord (BWA) launched in November 2023. To mark the one-year anniversary of the Accord, the SWR held a webinar to present the latest data and narratives from BWA signatories, to showcase the tangible results achieved so far. The Accord is a core commitment by signatories to reduce their average bottle weight of 750ml still bottles to below 420g by the end of 2026. At the ti...

In this end of year podcast the Sustainable Wine Roundtable team review the progress made in 2024 and look ahead to the SWR's 2030 strategy. Hear from the SWR's founder, Toby Webb, head of research, Dr Peter Stanbury, and head of operations, Delaney Sheridan, as they reflect on the positive developments and milestones achieved in various action areas, including the Bottle Weight Accord , Standards...

In this  Sustainable Wine Roundtable  (SWR) Member Interview podcast, Hanna Halmari speaks with Viviana Navarrete, the winemaker behind San Pedro TAYU and Viña Leyda . Both brands are part of Chile's VSPT Wine Group , one of the world's top 20 wine producers. Viviana shares the inspiring story of San Pedro TAYU, a unique Pinot Noir produced in collaboration with the Indigenous Mapuche community in...

In this  Sustainable Wine Roundtable  (SWR) Member Interview podcast Hanna Halmari speaks with Dr Laura Catena, managing director of Bodega Catena Zapata and Luca Winery. Laura is a fourth-generation Argentine vintner, physician, and wine writer. She holds a biology degree from Harvard University and a medical doctor degree from Stanford. Laura is also the founder of the Catena Institute of Wine,...

In this  Sustainable Wine Roundtable  (SWR) Member Interview podcast Hanna Halmari speaks with Prof. Dr. Mortiz Wagner from the Department of Applied Ecology at Geisenheim University in Germany. They discuss the SWR's recently launched Sustainable Viticulture Protocol (SVP) . The SVP is a shared framework for decision-making in relation to chemical use that aims to improve viticulture practices, w...

Globally, there are more than 40 sustainability standards in the wine sector. How do these, and the organisations behind them actually drive positive change on sustainability along the value chain? Where do they work well, and where are the gaps to fill? Moreover, what can be done to ensure that they are as effective as possible? In this webinar we deep dive into the role of sustainability standar...

In this  Sustainable Wine Roundtable  (SWR) Member Interview podcast Hanna Halmari speaks with Jody Bogle, vice president of consumer relations at Bogle Family Vineyards . They discuss Bogle’s new wine label, Element[AL] that launched earlier this year. The wine comes in a first-of-its-kind aluminium wine bottle - not a can, but a full-size wine bottle. Jody shares why they chose aluminum, what th...

The SWR recently launched the Sustainable Viticulture Protocol . The protocol is a shared set of steps that aims to reorient viticulture practices, with an emphasis on the reduction of chemical inputs and the adoption of regenerative techniques. In case you missed the launch or you're short on time, you can listen to this podcast for a quick update on the protocol. Toby Webb, founder and executive...

There are over 40 wine sustainability standards around the world. This is understandable given the fact that sustainability in wine is so context dependent. It’s also incredibly confusing. With so much variability, how can you assess how these certifications and standards compare against each other? This is where the SWR ‘ Global Reference Framework ’ (GRF) comes in. As the first global statement...

Sustainable Viticulture Protocol Launch Webinar On July 9th, the  Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) proudly unveiled the ‘SWR Sustainable Viticulture Protocol’ to an enthusiastic virtual audience of wine professionals. The webinar launch was moderated by Dr. Peter Stanbury, Research Director, SWR, who introduced the protocol and its objectives. Environmental practices in the vineyard, particularly...

Reducing wine bottle weight is a no-brainer: The bottle makes up almost half of wine's total carbon footprint, and it's an opportunity for the sector to demonstrate real change in its environmental impact and carbon reduction. Last autumn the SWR developed the Bottle Weight Accord (BWA) in which signatories around the world committed to reducing their average bottle weight to below 420g by the end...

At the end of May 2024, we marked the six-month anniversary of the SWR Bottle Weight Accord’s release with a reflective webinar. We discussed the progress and future of the Bottle Weight Accord, highlighting the advancements made, stories and experiences of our members, and our vision for the next phase of the Accord. Discover how the Accord is evolving to include both retailers and producers, exp...

In this short podcast Toby Webb, founder of the SWR , and head of research Dr Peter Stanbury provide a quick update on the work the SWR is doing in the sustainable viticulture space. Organic and biodynamic approaches aren't necessarily always possible or the best way forward for all vineyards, given factors such as weather conditions, terroir, and rainfall. The SWR is busy trying to understand wha...

In this  Sustainable Wine Roundtable  (SWR) Member Interview podcast Hanna Halmari speaks with Anne Laure Ferroir, director at Terra Vitis , and Morgane Le Breton, co-manager at Maison Le Breton . They discuss how eco-design is evolving in France, with a particular focus on light-weighting bottles and alternative packaging formats. Morgane shares how Maison Le Breton is approaching sustainable pac...

In this  Sustainable Wine Roundtable  (SWR) Member Interview podcast Hanna Halmari speaks with Emily Brighton MW, head of technical at North South Wines, the first UK wine distributor to receive B Corp accreditation. Emily achieved her Master of Wine title earlier this year, for which she wrote a research paper investigating the impact of B Corp certification on wine distributors. In this podcast...

One of the key pillars of the Sustainable Wine Roundtable is to help raise the quality of information and understanding of what sustainability is in wine. The Global Reference Framework (GRF) aims to do exactly that, and in this short podcast Toby Webb, founder of the SWR , and head of research Dr Peter Stanbury provide a quick update on the workstream.  With over 70 sustainability standards globa...