Why Sustainability Matters Most in Wine Right Now

“Sustainability” might seem like yet another buzzword, but in the wine industry, it has increasingly become a matter of survival.

As I have explored the Italian and French wine industries as a journalist over the past several years, I have witnessed a dramatic shift in the conversation. What was once a “do-gooder” effort to tout environmentally friendly policies, has now become a far-reaching and more nuanced conversation of great consequence. In the age of not only climate change but mass migration, tenuous supply chains and shifting demographics, how will wine sustain itself?

Put more bluntly: how will wine survive?

The four wineries I will spotlight in this class may not have all the answers, but they will each lend you a new perspective on how wine can provide answers to some of today’s most pressing environmental and economic questions. (I will also provide an overview of what sustainability means in the wine sector, and how consumers can get engaged with this topic). Find a bottle from any of them, and join me on Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 6pm. This list is subject to change.

• Gravner – Friuli, Italy
• Salicutti – Tuscany, Italy
• Alois Lageder – Alto Adige, Italy
• Domaine Dujac – Burgundy, France

To access the Zoom log-in, navigate to the Study Guide: Why Sustainability Matters Most in Wine Right Now (coming soon). Guest passes for free access may become available closer to the event date. Subscribe to our email newsletter to receive word.

About Kevin Day

Kevin Day is a wine writer, educator, photographer and the founder of Opening a Bottle, a highly regarded online wine magazine focused on European wines. Through his subscriber-supported website, Kevin routinely hosts virtual wine tastings and classes with his followers covering everything from what to expect from certain wine regions and grape varieties, to identifying wine flaws and understanding organic and biodynamic wines.

In 2019, Kevin was shortlisted as the “Emerging Wine Writer of the Year” by the Louis Roederer Wine Writers’ Awards. He has also been twice nominated for the Millesima Blog Awards in the Wine Reporter category. Opening a Bottle was also nominated for “Best Individual Blog” by the International Association of Culinary Professionals in 2019.

He has passed the Wine Scholar Guild’s Italian Wine Scholar™ and French Wine Scholar™ exams, both with Highest Honors. He continues to be a member of this wine-education organization and writes for them periodically.

He is based in Denver, Colorado.