Sustainable Wine

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, explains why natural alternatives matter, and shares insights into the unique properties and R&D process behind Chestwine.

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 standards in the wine industry to common auditing challenges and the approach at A Good Certification Group, Jose shares how audits can be a force for good and help deliver meaningful change.

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. A successful pilot last year demonstrated the feasibility of collecting primary supply chain data on a large scale. Gad shares the key learnings, insights into the data collection process, next steps for the project, and more. If you as a producer or grower within Systembolaget’s supply chain would like to get involved, please reach out to your Swedish importer. If you as a retailer or other major stakeholder in the alcoholic drinks sector would like to know more, please reach out to linda.johansson@systembolaget.se

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 challenges while driving innovation and collaboration in the industry.

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 makes sparkling wine more complex, and how we’re working through those challenges. There are many opinions when it comes to bottle weight, and it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. We thought we’d help set the record straight and run through some of the most common claims. Fact or fiction? Have a listen to find out.

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 wine industry today. Through compelling data, storytelling, and interviews with growers and producers around the world, Rooted in Change offers deep insight into how the wine world is evolving and adapting to a changing climate. Jane and Andy share the motivations behind the book, the key lessons they learned along the way, practical advice for listeners, and the importance of maintaining hope and optimism. You can purchase your copy at Académie du Vin Library or Amazon.

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 Framework (GRF) – the first global statement of what sustainability in wine entails – provides a clear way to compare standards and drive alignment on meaningful progress. We explore the process and requirements behind the Terra Vitis certification, including the organisation’s work on labour standards and sustainable packaging. Nicolas shares the benefits of the benchmarking process, the key insights for Terra Vitis, and the actions they are implementing moving forward. We also reflect on some of the broader themes from this second round of benchmarking and discuss what these findings mean for the SWR.

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 important role of wine tourism, and what sustainable growth looks like for the state.

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 environmental challenges they face, and how they are adapting to a changing climate.

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 its founding in 1985, when the Nardi family made the decision to fully convert to organic farming. Since then, the winery has continued to drive sustainable progress in the region: Perlage was the first producer of organic Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, the first to release a certified biodynamic Prosecco, and the first Italian winery to receive B Corp certification. In this episode, Anna shares the story behind the winery’s evolution, the challenges of being organic in a traditional region, and key learnings from nearly four decades of sustainable innovation.

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 average weight of their 750ml still wine bottles to below 420 grams by the end of 2026. Since its launch, the BWA has gained significant traction. With over 20 global companies now involved, the Accord covers approximately 7.5% of all wine sold. As the initiative continues to make progress, the natural next step is to expand into the sparkling wine sector. The SWR recently published its first progress report, laying the foundation for a Sparkling Bottle Weight Accord. In this podcast, Hanna Halmari and Dr Peter Stanbury, SWR's head of research, discuss the report’s findings, the unique challenges of sparkling wine packaging, and the next steps for a Sparkling Wine Accord.

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) Member Interview podcast, I speak with Kelsey Kolbo, business development manager - wine & liquor at Petainer, about the opportunities presented by PET packaging. Kelsey shares insights into the environmental and economic benefits of PET wine bottles, from lower carbon emissions to reduced risk of breakage. We discuss the drivers behind the shift to alternative formats, common misconceptions about PET, and more. SWR is developing a Packaging Choice Framework, offering evidence-based insights into the merits and challenges of different packaging formats. If you're interested in learning more or supporting this work, please do get in touch!