Sustainable Winegrowing Australia released its Impact Report for the 2021–22 financial year, revealing 75 per cent of Australia's wine and grape growing regions are now committed to implementing sustainability practices.
The Impact Report presents the national aggregated data from 920 individual Sustainable Winegrowing Australia vineyards, wineries and wine businesses, and showed positive sustainability practice results:
- 100 per cent of members are now measuring, monitoring and reporting waste generation, recycling and reuse;
- 100 per cent of members continue to measure and report on scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions, with 79 per cent of vineyards and 85 per cdnt of wineries prioritising energy-efficient practices;
- 91 per cent of vineyards and 84 per cent of wineries have taken action to plan, monitor and reduce water use to preserve water and future-proof against drought;
- 74 per cent of vineyards and 66 per cent of wineries have taken action to preserve natural resources and protect valuable Australian ecosystems;
- 65 per cent of vineyard members are documenting nutrient soil management processes, and 50 per cent have best practice measures in place to ensure robust microbial networks that support grapevine productivity but also store more carbon, and
- 86 per cent of vineyards and 94 per cent of wineries engage in at least one community or environmental initiative, building better connections between wine producers and their communities to further strengthen the industry for future generations.
Sustainable Winegrowing Australia is governed by the Australian Wine Research Institute, Australian Grape & Wine and Wine Australia, and supports grapegrowers and winemakers in measuring, reporting, and encouraging best practices in vineyards and wineries, amid rising consumer and retailer demands for sustainable products.
The report for the voluntary national certification program has also shown a record 48 per cent growth in membership in FY22, now a collective of over 1,150 vineyards, wineries and wine businesses. The program now represents 40 per cent of total wine production in Australia – a 90 per cent increase on the previous financial year.
Wine Australia’s head of ESG and market access Rachel Triggs said it had been another challenging year for the industry, which faced extreme weather events and inflation pressures.”
“Despite challenges, the growth in membership demonstrates that sustainability is a major priority for producers, as well as the power and benefit of the collective effort within the program. We're making headway on the industry’s 2050 emissions and waste targets and looking ahead we are excited to be evolving with greater focus on the social and economic metrics of the program.
“Wine-drinkers and retailers around the world are increasingly seeking out brands that meet their sustainability standards, with 65% of Australian wine drinkers preferring sustainably made wine and 54% of global wine drinkers only trusting sustainable wine that is officially certified. Sustainable practices and the benchmarking provided by the program are essential to ensuring the Australian wine industry remains competitive while protecting the distinctive land, robust vines and quality wines Australia is known for globally,” said Triggs.
The report highlights the progress vineyards and wineries, ranging from small independents to large well-known household brands, are making across environmental benchmarks (including emissions, waste and water usage) but also the strides being taken to support the land around them through biodiversity protection and the well-being of their communities – both within their business and in surrounding regions.
Voyager Estate’s vineyard manager Glen Ryan said that successful sustainability ‘is never done in isolation’ and it was exciting to see the impact of the program not only with emissions reduction and waste but also in the reshaping of business culture.
“Through the introduction of direct contracting, we now have part-time workers returning for a third vintage and to me, that is true sustainability because not only does it save us money on training, but we've also got people that want to be here. It’s also been rewarding to see the increase in bird life across the vineyard as a result of our biodiversity efforts and we are looking into how to track this more effectively,” said Ryan.
The report also displays the traction gained for the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia trust mark, which is now displayed on hundreds of bottles in stores across the country. This is driving sustainable minded wine drinkers to pick up member wines at point of purchase but also assisting in negotiations globally as international retailers look for sustainability credentials.
Hill Smith Family Estates head of winemaking and chief winemaker at Yalumba Louisa Rose said Hill Smith Family Estate’s winery, owned vineyards and grower network were all Sustainable Winegrowing Australia certified as of 2023.
“This means we can use the trust mark on all our bottles from this year’s vintage. Not only does this amplify the story that we’re trying to tell, but it has a real impact when engaging with retailers and consumers across Australia and internationally,” said Rose.
