Carbon Zero, wine with Green Credentials
Ξ April 23rd, 2008 | → 0 Comments | ∇ A Day at a Time, Technology, Wine News |
A couple of weeks ago I picked up Sanctuary Wines 2006 Marlborough Pinot Gris from the local Sainsbury’s supermarket. Apart from liking Pinot Gris one of the other reasons the bottle made it into the trolley was the CarbonZero logo on the label, something I remembered reading about in a magazine article earlier in the year.
CarboNZero is a scheme set up in New Zealand by Landcare Research Institute to facilitate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions based around accurate measurement of those emissions, and the parent company of Sanctuary Wines, The New Zealand Wine Company became the first winery to get the certification in 2006.
The idea of being Carbon Neutral has been around for a while, with many individuals and organizations subscribing to Carbon offsetting, paying into projects that, theoretically, reduce emissions and balance their Carbon footprint. In the UK the thought of Food Miles is becoming more common and consumers are looking to buy more locally produced goods, or produce that has Green Credentials. This is something that will likely become more important for winemakers to consider as well, as much of the growing wine market is made up of the “middle class” (pardon the use of such a typically British term) who are quickly developing an environmental conscience that needs salving – I know, I consider myself one! Of course just because something is flown half-way across the world to reach the supermarket shelves doesn’t make it automatically bad, but some green labeling will always help. A New Zealand Herald article from last year has an excellent review of this idea, and its final paragraph sums up the business side of the story, with the New Zealand Wine Company expected to double its sales in the UK.
So what are the ups and downs of being a Carbon Neutral winery? As reported in the Otago Daily Times instead of using a fleet of helicopters to move the air around and stop frost damage large fans have been installed in the vineyards, while changing packaging designs has led to a 12% reduction in shipping volumes and heat-recycling projects have cut down their heating costs. On the flip side a refrigerant leak at the winery contributed 400% more emissions than the whole year’s electricity use.
The key message from the CarboNZero scheme is that accurate measurement is the first step, you have to understand what your emissions are and how they’re affected by what you do before you can make any real attempt at reducing or offsetting them. 
This is clearly explained on the Sanctuary Wines site; Measure – calculate emissions, Manage– reduce emissions, Mitigate – offset emissions.
As for the Pinot Gris itself? This was a refreshing wine, reminiscent of Alsace with a waxy, sweet floral nose and full aroma. Heavy in the mouth, it was a full bodied white with a rich texture, a little grapefruit bitterness on the mid-palate into a medium long finish, not a bad wine to go with a clear conscience!
Greybeard.
