More than 40 leaders in the production and marketing of wine around the world have joined forces to accelerate action as sustainability challenges mount. The newly formed Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) is a unique coalition of leading wine brands, small producers, distributors, retailers, environmental organizations, and others – all joined in their determination to make the wine sector a sustainability leader.
“At the SWR, our industry is coming together to define what constitutes truly sustainable wine production, covering the whole chain from the vineyard to the consumer. In collaboration with our global peers, VWE is looking forward to developing clear, science-based targets and transparent ways to communicate with consumers,” said Erica Landin-Lofving, Chief Sustainability Officer for Vintage Wine Estates.
Building on the many local sustainability standards for wine, the SWR will develop a global reference standard clarifying the wine community’s consensus on exactly what sustainability means and how it is implemented and measured. This will provide clear and credible guidance on how to get vineyards and wineries on the sustainability pathway and help retailers and consumers sort out the various eco-labels and claims.
The SWR is convening working groups to develop best practice and tools on substantive sustainability issues, raise awareness, connect industry leaders, and advocate for the wine community globally as a force for good in the world.
Richard Bampfield MW, the roundtable’s initial chair, said, “There are many innovative programs and projects to make vineyards and wineries more environmentally friendly and socially just. Our aim is to bring them together, generating the clarity, cohesion and collaboration necessary for the wine sector to establish itself as a leader on the world sustainability stage.”
“We invite everyone in the wine community to join us,” Bampfield added, noting that the SWR will be open to general membership in 2022.
The SWR founding members include: Ahold Delhaize, Alko, Alliance Wine, Amfori, Amorim Cork, BLB Vignobles, British Glass, BSI, Catena Institute of Wine, Château Léoube, CIVB, Cloudy Bay, Concha y Toro, Diversity in Food and Beverage, Domaine Bousquet, Dr. Loosen, Enotria&Coe, Equalitas, Famille Perrin, Fish Friendly Farming, Food Alliance, Grupo Avinea, Hochschule Geisenheim University, International Wineries for Climate Action, JancisRobinson.com, Journey’s End Vineyards, Lidl GB, Napa Green, New York Wine & Grape Foundation, North South Wines, Preferred by Nature, Ramón Bilbao, Schenk Group, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Sustainable Agriculture Network, Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, Sustainable Winegrowing British Columbia, Systembolaget, The Co-op UK, The Fairtrade Foundation, The Porto Protocol, The Wine Society, Treasury Wine Estates, Vingruppen, Vintage Wine Estates, Waitrose & Partners, Whole Foods Market, Wines of South Africa, WWF South Africa.
The group is as notable for whom it does not includes as for who it does. Not included are E&J. Gallo, Wine Group, Constellation Brands, Bronco Wine Co., Fosters Wine Estates, Trinchero Family Estates, Diageo Chateau, Jackson Family Wines, and Brown-Forman Wines — nine of the 10 top U.S. wine producers by cases.