While most of the attention regarding sustainability in the wine world understandably has been on practices in the vineyard, there is growing interest and understanding of the importance of social sustainability.
The recent California Sustainable Winegrowing Summit (by the U.S. Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance) panel titled “The People Pillar of Sustainability: Inclusive Workplaces & Hospitality” explored how “social sustainability is about how businesses impact people, including employees and customers.”
This includes community involvement and charitable giving, thought these have been common among wineries as long as I can remember. But it seems social responsibility and being a good neighbor are increasing in importance. This often includes participating in community forums and working with advocacy groups to hear concerns and solve problems.
An even more promising sign is that many wineries are seeking help in addressing social and economic issues. For some, this translates to changing the business model. The most common transformation is to become certified as a “B Corp”. The mission of such “benefit corporations” is to “balance profit with purpose”. According to the certifying entity, B lab, it is a model “that moves from concentrating wealth and power to ensuring equity, from extraction to generation, and from prioritizing individualism to embracing interdependence.”
And some other sustainability certifications now include elements for workplace and community. As Anne Bousquet, co-owner and CEO of Argentina’s Domaine Bousquet noted to me: “As an economist by trade, my approach to sustainability extends well beyond the vineyard and winery. To be truly sustainable, I believe you also need to be socially and economically sustainable. I am as proud of our work investing in our employees and the local community (reflected in our B Corp, Regenerative Organic Certified and Fair for Life status), as I am of our successes in bringing down our carbon footprint.”
As you shop, know these wineries also are B Corp certified:
U. S.: A to Z, Bonterra, Chehalem, Clif Family, O’Neill Vintners, River Road, Sokol Blosser, Spottswoode, Stoller.
Imported: Avignonesi, Bollinger, Charles Heidsieck, Concha y Toro, Domaines Barons de Rothschild Lafite, Emiliana, Felton Road, Feudi de San Gregorio, Hecht & Bannier, Los Vascos, Planeta, Piper Heidsieck, Symington Family Estates, Tasca d’Almerita.
And even Wine Enthusiast magazine is a B Corp .
Although climate change is still looming ominously over us all, I am encouraged by recent developments in the wine industry. And that consumer awareness is growing and driving change. Of course we want our wine to taste good. But we also want to know what’s in our glass – and what’s not in our glass. We want to know that the journey from grape to glass was an honorable one – for the workers, the community and the planet. And producers all along the supply chain are beginning to listen.