“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 8pm Eastern / 5pm Pacific Time.
- Gravner – Friuli, Italy
- Biondi-Santi – Tuscany, Italy
- Alois Lageder – Alto Adige, Italy
- Domaine Dujac – Burgundy, France
Zoom Credentials
Topic: Why Sustainability Matters Most in Wine Right Now
Time: Feb 4, 2023 08:00 PM Eastern Time/5:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Meeting ID: 890 5054 3036
Passcode: Feb2023
Photo at right: The planting of trees within a vineyard is a rather bold step, but one that winemaker Josko Gravner has fully embraced at his estate along the Italy-Slovenia border. ©Kevin Day/Opening a Bottle