The Green Wine Guide » Latest News

Waitrose’s ‘Virtue’ Shipped in Eco-Friendly Tanks

Liz Lewis — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 07:39:02 +0000

British supermarket chain Waitrose is introducing a new wine brand, Virtue, that’s making waves in the wine world and it has nothing to do with taste or quality. Rather, it’s the method of launching that has attracted all the attention.

Originating from the Central Valley in Chile, two Virtue wines are being shipped over to England in eco-tanks instead of bottles. The 24,000 litre recyclable tanks hold the equivalent of 32,000 bottles of wine. According to Waitrose, shipping the wine this way saves 47 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.

But that’s not the end of it. The wine will be eventually be placed into bottles that consist of 60% recycled glass.

Talking Green at Wineries Unlimited 2009.

Liz Lewis — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:29:21 +0000

Wineries Unlimited 2009 (March 10th – 13th at Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia, PA) will be talking green this year with Ed Boyce from Maryland winery Black Ankle Vineyards speaking on ‘Sustainable/biodynamic/organic viticulture’. He’ll be discussing his vineyard’s biodynamic efforts – efforts that helped him win the Governor’s Cup for a Black Ankle bordeaux style blend.

Al Gore Urges Global Wine Industry to Go Green.

Liz Lewis — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:43:31 +0000

Al Gore addressed the World Congress of Climate Change & Wine in Barcelona, Spain by video last February. Speaking to an audience of over 350 winemakers, scientists, growers and industry executives from some of the world’s largest wine-producing countries, he touched on issues of climate change and the effects of carbon dioxide on the planet and stressed the importance of the global wine industry becoming more green.

Listen to what he had to say here…

South African Wine Industry Praised for Conservation Efforts.

Liz Lewis — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:35:58 +0000

The South African wine industry has set aside 104 000 hectares of Cape Floral Kingdom land for long-term conservation. That’s greater than the amount of land used in the nation for growing grapes (102,000 hectares). This was only made possible through the partnership of the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative (BWI) and the South African Wine Industry. Through these two groups, major wine companies, co-operative wineries and boutique and garagiste producers joined together to protect the Cape’s unique biodiversity.

Oregon Wineries Taking the Carbon Neutral Challenge.

Liz Lewis — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 06:34:16 +0000

by LIZ LEWIS

Oregon wineries are aiming to go carbon neutral. The Oregon Environmental Council and the Oregon Wine Board have teamed up to develop an initiative to help the wineries reduce and even, hopefully, eliminate their carbon footprints.

Many of Oregon’s wineries are already utilizing sustainable agricultural practices into their operation, but recognizing that climate change is going to end up having a significant impact on their ability to grow grapes and produce quality wines, they are hoping to do more.

So far, thirty wineries have joined the Carbon Neutral Challenge Initiative - Abacela, Amity Vineyard, Anne Amie Vineyards, Archery Summit Wines, Argyle, AtoZ/Rex Hill, Basket Case Wine, Benton-Lane Winery, Bethel Heights Vineyard, Chehalem Winery, Cooper Mountain Vineyards, King Estate Winery, Lange Winery, Lazy River Vineyard, Lemelson Vineyards, Mahonia Vineyards, Patton Valley Vineyard, Ponzi Vineyards, Seven Hills Vineyard, Sokol Blosser Winery, Soter Vineyards, Stoller Vineyards, Torii Mor Winery, Troon Vineyard, Vigna Giovanni Vineyard/Barbara Thomas Wines, Valley View Winery, Vidon Vineyard, Winderlea Wine Company, Willamette Valley Vineyards, and Wooldridge Creek Vineyard and Winery.