The SW Summary: On Napa Green’s glyphosate ban, confusion over EU wine labelling laws, new grape varieties, and more
Napa Green’s glyphosate ban
In Wine Enthusiast Kate Dingall discusses Napa Green’s recent move to ban glyphosate. The sustainable wine-growing certification for Napa Valley vineyards announced that by 2026, members must find a replacement for glyphosate and “discontinue use of all synthetic herbicides” by 2028. As expected, the decision has spurred controversy throughout the industry.
Winemakers are divided over the herbicide. Whilst some are resoundingly anti-glyphosate, others rely on it to meet supply demands. Currently, around half of the vineyard areas in Napa and Sonoma use the weed killer. Transitioning from glyphosate isn’t easy, Dingall points out. Growers can weed by hand, use sheep or gas-powered tools, but these options are expensive, labour-intensive and can increase carbon emissions. According to a French study, mechanical weeding costs €250 more per hectare than chemical weeding.
To support wineries in the transition, Napa Green is offering $60,000 in grants as well as weed management tool kits and access to economic case studies. “We’re trying to provide as many resources as we can to help with the transition,” says Executive Director Anna Brittain. Read the article here.
Confusion around new EU wine labelling laws
In the drinks business James Evison discusses the concerns around the EU’s new wine labelling rules. All wines and wine products created from the 2024 harvest onwards will require a physical or digital label listing out ingredients and nutritional information. Many producers are opting for a digital label in the form of a QR code, but are facing “‘different and contradictory interpretations’ on the labelling from the European Commission, member states and the European Parliament.”
The European Committee of Wine Companies (Comité Vins – CEEV) has been supportive of the new labelling laws, but is concerned that “these diverse and contradictory interpretations create confusion and uncertainty for wine operators and puts the EU Single Market for wine at risk.” Read the full article here.
Viña Concha y Toro to reach net-zero by 2040
In 2019 Chilean producer Viña Concha y Toro made a commitment to reach net-zero by 2050. Now, due to recent progress, the company is bringing this goal forward by 10 years. James Evison reports on the firm’s accelerated ambition in the drinks business.
In the last five years to 2022, Viña Concha y Toro has reduced its emissions by 35%, decreasing its carbon footprint to 53% lower than the global industry average. This has been achieved by tackling Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, notably through transitioning to 100% renewable energy and working with suppliers to reduce indirect emissions. Valentina Lira, Sustainability Manager at Viña Concha y Toro, explains, “This performance allowed us to visualize that we can make a greater contribution to climate change mitigation. After 5 years of progress with SBTi, we thought it was a good time to renew our commitment to reduce our emissions, with the aim of contributing to a more sustainable future.”
Read the article here.
New grapes, old regions
In SevenFifty Daily Jessica Dupuy explores the impact of new grape varieties on traditional wine regions. Classic regions such as Jerez, Bordeaux and Champagne have typically had strict limitations on the grape varieties allowed. However, the mounting pressures of climate change and consumer demand have led to new regulations allowing a wider range of varieties, including native grapes and hybrid grapes.
In doing so, the regulatory bodies hope to increase climate resilience and disease resistance across vineyards. In Champagne, for example, the adoption of the hybrid grape Voltis may seem “like sacrilege in a country where [it] was previously banned nearly 100 years ago.” Now, with the hope to reduce reliance on fungicides such as copper sulphate, Voltis is “currently limited to five percent of a vineyard and 10 percent of a blend.”
Jerez now allows the planting of a number of native grape varieties such as Beba, Cañocazo, Mantúo Castellano, Mantúo de Pilas, Perruno, and Vigiriega. The ‘reintroduction’ of these grapes in 2022 was partly in response to climate change, but the decision was also driven by efforts to preserve the region’s heritage. Whilst some innovative producers are embracing the new grapes, Dupuy notes that “limited uptake of the newly approved varieties is a common theme across all of these traditional regions.”
Not all new varieties are expected to be a success. As Rachel Hubert, co-owner of Château Peybonhomme-les-Tours in Bordeaux points out, “planting forgotten varieties is a good idea, although some were forgotten for [good] reasons.” As some winegrowers cautiously experiment with new varieties, others will not plant any new grapes until they have proven their value. Changes across the respective regions will be slow and the impact of the new varieties remains to be seen. Read more here.