A closer look at what greenwashing is, how to identify it, and how to avoid it when purchasing wine.

You’re not imagining it – the natural foods selection at your local grocery store is getting bigger. Those social media advertisements promising sustainably-made clothing are gaining traction. The menu at your favorite restaurant is adding more dishes with descriptive language like “eco-friendly” and “ethically sourced.” 

The reason for these changes is simple: The demand for organic, sustainable, ethical products is growing. Sales of organic food and beverages are on the rise. In 2018, for example, sales of organic products in the United States rose by 6.3 percent. One reason for this is the generational demand for sustainable items. Millennials and Generation Z are willing to pay more for sustainable products. 62% of Generation Z prefers to buy from sustainable brands.

This has created a unique landscape for companies, which now have a proven financial incentive to engage in better environmental practices. In many cases, the result of this is greater transparency for customers and the production of more sustainable items. In some cases, however, the result is “greenwashing,” a business practice that seeks to monetize the image of sustainability without actually engaging in sustainable actions. 

In this article, we will take a closer look at greenwashing, including how to identify it, and how it affects the wine industry. You will learn:

• What greenwashing is 
• Its telltale signs
• Its impact on wine
•  How Domaine Bousquet creates truly sustainable wine

What is greenwashing?

To identify greenwashing, it is important to understand the intention behind this all too common unethical practice. Greenwashing is essentially a marketing push. When a company engages in greenwashing, they take imagery and terminologies associated with “going organic” and use it to trick consumers into believing that they are making environmentally-minded choices.

 As a result, consumers think the company is doing something positive for the environment. The company then collects the consumers’ money and they feel good about their purchase. The environment receives no benefits, however, and in many cases is negatively impacted. 

The term greenwashing might seem modern, but it dates back to 1986. The term was coined by Jay Westerveldemerged, who created it in response to the hotel industry’s movement of encouraging guests to reuse towels to save water and help the earth. In actuality, the practice did more to help the hotels’ laundry bill than it did to save water. 

Greenwashing has proliferated since the term was coined and has experienced an especially sharp uptick in response to consumer demand for ethical and environmental-minded business practices.

Telltale signs of greenwashing

There are numerous ways to identify greenwashing. Consumers who seek to buy a wide range of ethical products should be familiar with the various ways the practice typically manifests.

One common method of greenwashing is for businesses to present products with hidden trade-offs. This happens when a company labels something as sustainable based on only a small percentage of attributes. For example, a beverage company might say its drink bottles are made of 75% recycled plastic but fail to mention its unsustainable characteristics – carbon emissions released, transportation method, etc.

Another sign of greenwashing is vague language. A company may advertise a good as eco-friendly, ethically-made, natural, good for the earth, or perhaps most tellingly, green. A business that says “we’ve gone green” without backing it up with a bullet-point list of actions may be hoping that the consumer will take their claim at face value rather than asking for proof.

The use of visuals associated with sustainability and organic products is often used in conjunction. This includes leaves, flowers, trees, sunshine, animals, or simply just the color green.

A company might also distract from a history of environmentally-catastrophic processes by using a celebrity spokesperson, attributing facts or awards to an organization you have never heard of, or making big claims with no proof. Worst of all, the company may lie outright.

Greenwashing and wine

Wine is unfortunately not immune from greenwashing. Consumers may find themselves duped into thinking a bottle of organic wine is earth-conscious due to its rise in popularity. Understanding if the wine you’ve selected has been greenwashed takes education and awareness. 

Wine can be classified as natural, organic, “made with organic grapes,” biodynamic, or vegan. These labels come with varying degrees of regulation. 

Natural wine is the least stringent, but still requires a low-intervention approach with limited use of pesticides, sulfurs, and other chemicals. 

Organic wine uses fully organic processes from start to finish. Its Earth-friendly practices include growing fruit in rich, biodynamic soil and not using any synthetic dyes, additives, or sulfites. 

Organic wine must be certified to prove its authenticity. Consumers should look for the USDA certification on the label.

Wines “made with organic grapes” are produced according to the National Organic Program standards but only the grapes have to be 100% certified organic. 

The big difference between organic wine and wine “made with organic grapes” is the sulfite level allowed. Organic wines are not allowed to have any sulfites added and must contain less than 10 parts per million (ppm). Natural sulfites do occur in wine. Wines made with organic grapes are allowed to have sulfites added, up to 100 ppm. 

Like organic wine, biodynamic wine must also be certified. Biodynamic wine is a winemaking practice that uses compost, no chemicals, and holistic-inspired farming practices. 

Vegan wine uses no animal products.

The key to purchasing any type of sustainable wine – be it organic, “made with organic grapes,” vegan, biodynamic, or natural – is to look at the label for certification, not the advertising. 

Truly sustainable wine from Domaine Bousquet

Domaine Bousquet is a winery in Mendoza, Argentina that produces certified organic, vegan, sustainable, and fair trade wine. Our wines are ethically-produced, affordably priced, and easy to find both in Europe and in the United States. 

We are dedicated to farming organically and improving our land’s biodiversity. We run a water shortage program with treatment facilities. 

We believe a healthy vineyard not only benefits the land itself but gives us the finest fruit to make our vibrant wine.