Vintage 2008: What the Wine Year Brought

Globally, what were the trends for winemakers, viticulture and viniculture? News service Reuters says the focus was on greener production and an eye on production costs and consumer's pocketbooks. Under the headline, "Vintage '08? A Mixed Case of Economy and Ecology," Reuters Reporter Leslie Gevirtz wrote:

"NEW YORK (Reuters) - In the world of wine, vintage 2008 was a blend of economy and ecology as financial woes put the brakes on a bull run in prices and more producers went green."

"The marketers got into the green word for wine," said Alice Feiring, author of "The Battle for Wine and Love or How I saved the World from Parkerization."

"Boisset, the second-largest producer of Beaujolais Nouveau, bottled its entire 2008 harvest in plastic bottles."

"The lightweight PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles drastically cut shipping costs without affecting the young Gamay wine inside and created packaging that was "absolutely recyclable," according to a company spokesman."

"Of course, there are others that don't think the wine industry has really turned green yet, despite the rise in the number of biodynamic and organic wineries internationally."

You can read the rest of the article here.

When It Comes To Going Green, Wine Makers Mean Business

So how serious are wine makers globally about making their agricultural practices environmentally compliant? Very, said Business Wire in a recent press release. Under the headline, "Wine Industry Intent on Truly Going Green: UC Davis Graduate School of Management Survey Results Released," Business Wire writes:

"NAPA, Calif., (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The wine industry is making a concerted effort to adopt environmentally responsible practices but sees a need for better education among both consumers and professionals on many "green" issues, according to two surveys of wine industry professionals and executives conducted by Robert Smiley, professor and director of wine studies in the Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Davis.

"'These industry leaders are very concerned that their firms authentically 'walk-the-walk' when it comes to environmental issues and that they not be accused of just 'greenwashing' their businesses,' Smiley said.

"He added that while survey participants reported that the high prices of gasoline and other inputs have negatively impacted their costs and revenues, they remain optimistic that the industry will ride out the current nationwide economic downturn."

You can read the rest of the press release here.