The era we’re living in is quite peculiar. You probably agree with us. While we can argue that nothing is lacking, if we’re not careful we could find ourselves in a pinch soon enough.
That’s why it is important to take good care of our environment even with matters such as making wine. Creating this good beverage is no small feat. The whole industry is dedicated to it. As wine lovers, considering that this drink comes from nature, we are obligated to take care of our surroundings.
This brings us to our central subject for today. Yes, it is wine. But, not the drink itself. No, we are going to talk about what is the most sustainable way to make wine in 2024. Luckily for all of us wine lovers, there are plenty of ways wine can be made the right way. The best way, of course, is to lead by example.
We have an excellent one in traynorvineyard.com which is an excellent example of what you can call an ethical winery. Well, have plenty of examples of how you can make the win and be sustainable at the same time. All you need to do is to continue reading.
It is never too late to start thinking about the world that surrounds us. Nature is here for our sake, and we can at least try to be here for her. Making wine the right way is a small step, but considering that we need soil, sun, air, rain, and wind to have the best of wines, it is a great place to start. Let’s see what these sustainable wine-making ways we are talking about.
Buy Only Organic
Do you know what organic is? It is any natural product that is produced without the usage of various pesticides, fertilizers, or genetic modification. What you need to know is that not every advertised product is organic. To be one it needs to pass the USDA’s requirements that are listed in their National Organic Program.
You can find these products with ease, as they are now available more than ever. You have them at your local grocery shop, on a market, and of course online. If you’re a winemaker, you can greatly benefit by using organic grapes. Even if you do not own a vineyard of your own, the best way to remain a sustainable winemaker is to buy organic. What’s even better is that you do not have to focus only on grape wines.
Various types of organic fruits are good for winemaking and some of them are available all year round. So, in addition to going fully organic, you can also experiment a bit. There’s never a bad opportunity to try wines made out of apples, cranberries, strawberries, or even blackberries.
Waste Reduction
The best way to call yourself sustainable in any sphere of operations is to take good care of your waste. When we say taking care of your waste we talk about reusing it. When making wine, do you know what creates the most waste? It is the grape skins. For every six liters of wine made you have one kilo of waste tied to it. That’s a massive number.
Many wineries just throw it away. That’s a bad move, and it doesn’t lead to sustainability. Instead, what you should do is put it to use. This is not too hard to do. What you could do, and this is easy is make it animal food, or even better use it as a natural fertilizer. While this is a hands-on approach, there are other things you can do.
All you need are the right partners. Wine waste can be sued in the cosmetic industry, as a component in biofuel, or even as a food supplement. Have this in mind the next time you have a lot of waste to dispose of.
Use Eco-Friendly Cleaner
To create a fine wine you need a lot of equipment. Once you complete a cycle of wine making it needs to be thoroughly cleaned. This is no easy task, especially if you manufacture large quantities of wine. Sometimes you’ll switch from one type of grapes to another, and from one type of win to another. If this is the case you’ll need quite a thorough clean-up job.
Sometimes people use harsh chemicals to complete the process of cleaning. This is a fast way, but as you understand it is not the wise approach. If you do this you’re doing no favors to yourself or the environment. What we recommend is using natural cleaners that contain no chemicals and are oxygen-based. This way, you’ll get the job done, the environment will be better off thanks to your care, and you won’t have any skin irritation or respiratory issues. It’s a win-win situation.
Use Renewable Energy Sources
Easier said than done, but it needs to be done. Better sooner than later. It’s all about reducing your carbon footprint. When we suggest what people should do to help the environment and be sustainable we do not know the size of their operation.
But, regardless of the size you could do something, even if it’s a little bit. If you can’t rely on wind turbines and gain energy that way, it is fine. A few solar panels should do the trick. Even if your operation is smaller you can always do something. Biomass boilers are always an option.
Reuse Bottles
The best way to reduce our carbon footprint and take care of our surroundings is to lower the need for industry operations. When it comes to wine, it heavily relies on its packaging.
If you produce a hundred liters you’ll need a hundred bottles. But, you don’t need to use new bottles each time. No, instead you should use bottles that are already manufactured. Re-use the old bottles. Even if you’re not taking new ones, please use recycled ones.
The circle of constant manufacture needs to be stopped. There’s no shame or downside to using old bottles that are thoroughly cleaned. This is the best way to lead by example and to be an example to the entire wine-making industry which is quite massive.
