NEW YORK, NY, February 17, 2022 \u2013\u00a0<\/b>Many wine-producing countries are shifting their focus towards\u00a0 sustainability efforts, and Argentina is no exception. Now with over 75 certified organic wineries, the\u00a0 nation remains a leader in the pioneering of sustainable agricultural practices in South America \u2013 though\u00a0 organics is just the beginning.\u00a0\u201cToday, consumers around the world do want to live more sustainably.\u00a0 Many expect businesses to play a positive role in society and feel that when it comes to driving positive\u00a0 change, brands bear as much responsibility as governments. In one survey 66% of all respondents, and\u00a0 75% of millennial respondents, said they consider sustainability when making a purchase\u201d\u00a0(the World\u00a0 Economic Forum, May 2021). Furthermore, Wines of Argentina, as a non-profit, has a special role in the\u00a0 \u201cSustainable Wine Roundtable\u201d,\u00a0an independent global coalition with the goal of setting standards in\u00a0\u00a0the industry,\u00a0by raising awareness and promoting sustainability in the wine industry. Read on to learn\u00a0 more about the specific sustainability efforts being made by Wines of Argentina, as well as to discover\u00a0 the organization\u2019s brand-new\u00a0augmented reality\u00a0web app, aimed at educating consumers on regional\u00a0 diversity, sustainability in the vineyard, and more, here.<\/p>\n
Sustainability Across Multiple Sectors\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
For Argentine vineyards, sustainability goes far beyond just responsible farming. Numerous wineries are\u00a0 taking action to provide their employees with housing and care \u2013 one of the largest being Bodega\u00a0 Norton. At Finca La Colonia, the estate\u2019s largest vineyards, 45 families are given housing, health care,\u00a0 and an education. Children of said employees are provided with childcare and are enrolled in a local\u00a0 kindergarten, which opened just shy of a decade ago. For Bodega Trivento, efforts towards social\u00a0 sustainability mean allowing employees to work semi-remotely, to use the additional time to complete\u00a0 studies. The initiative first began in 2008; since then, numerous three-year cycles have been completed,\u00a0 and a scholarship program \/ post-graduate courses have been implemented.<\/p>\n
In 2018 Bodegas de Argentina has launched a \u2018Protocol of Sustainability of Wineries of Argentina\u2019.*\u00a0The\u00a0 Protocol \u201caims at strengthening long term environmental, social and economic sustainability and\u00a0 competitiveness of the Argentine wine industry. The scope of the Program is the entire wine industry,\u00a0 throughout the country, including the wine-producing sector, wineries, must, raisin and fresh grape\u00a0 producers, trading companies, wine-related associations, academic entities, control entities, and\u00a0 government. It applies hence to all wine companies, from small family vineyards and wineries to\u00a0 multinational corporations, to define a clear sustainability strategy.\u201d\u00a0The Program is centered around\u00a0 the enhancement of sustainability across the board in the areas of Viticulture, Soil management,\u00a0 Vineyard water management, Pest management, Wine quality, Ecosystem management, Energy\u00a0 efficiency, Winery Water Conservation, and Quality, Material Handling, Solid Waste Management,\u00a0 Sustainable preferred purchasing, Human Resources, Neighbors and Community, and Air quality.<\/p>\n
Creation of Vinodin\u00e1micos\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
As more Argentinian wineries continue to move towards organic practices, regulated organizations are\u00a0 also on the rise. Such is the case of Vinodin\u00e1micos, a new organization that emphasizes the notion of\u00a0 balance within ecosystems.\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re a dynamic group who works in harmony with our surroundings,\u201d\u00a0says\u00a0 its group coordinator Mauricio Castro. There are currently ten founding wineries that make up the\u00a0 organization, including Grupo Avinea, Ernesto Catena Vineyards, Domaine Bousquet, and Bodega Piedra<\/p>\n
*Bodegas de Argentina:\u00a0Bodegas de Argentina (BAAC) is a business chamber which includes 250 wineries. It was created in\u00a0 2001 as a result of the merger of Centro de Bodegueros de Mendoza (1935, Mendoza) and the Asociaci\u00f3n Vitivin\u00edcola Argentina\u00a0 (1904, Buenos Aires).<\/p>\n
Negra. The core philosophies and values of the organization include but are not limited to integrity, generosity, commitment, respect, and innovation.<\/p>\n
Continued Shift Towards Organic Farming\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
As of last year, over 75 wineries were listed as being certified organic, which represents nearly double\u00a0 the number of certified estates just seven years prior. The shift has not only been attributed to\u00a0 consumer interest but also a desire for long-lasting sustainability for generations to come, equally from\u00a0 the eyes of producers. Of these 75+ wineries, over 161 vineyards are classified as certified organic,\u00a0 which accounts for over 6,000 hectares of land. While Malbec still dominates most of these plantings,\u00a0 Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Torront\u00e9s are equally on the rise.<\/p>\n
At Bodegas Krontiras, 100% of production is organic and biodynamic, with certifications both in\u00a0 vineyards and in the winery. However, sustainability goes far beyond important farming choices.\u00a0\u201cOn the\u00a0 farm, we [also] care about increasing soil fertility and biodiversity,\u201d\u00a0says Maricruz Antol\u00edn, agricultural\u00a0 engineer and geologist at the estate, noting that Krontiras only fertilizes with composts made from their\u00a0 animals. Additionally, Antol\u00edn notes that the property maintains a robust vegetable farm, which helps\u00a0 feed the estate\u2019s animals and provides shelter for insects in the vineyards.\u00a0\u201cWe believe that the best way\u00a0 to promote this type of agriculture is through knowledge. That is why we finance and support open\u00a0 access studies; we encourage our people to produce their food, and we have an organic garden with\u00a0 products available for families to produce sweets and preserves for the whole year,\u201d\u00a0she says.<\/p>\n
Responding to the Water Crisis\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Argentina\u2019s wine regions, particularly Mendoza, are no strangers to the effects of climate change, one of\u00a0 the most impactful being the reduced availability of water. \u201cWe are constantly taking measurements\u00a0 and looking for ways to optimize further. [This] allows us to reduce our consumption month by month\u00a0 through a range of minor adjustments such as the use of irrigation hoses on automatic timers,\u2019\u00a0says\u00a0 Rodrigo Serrado Alou, oenologist at Domaine Bousquet. Since 2010, water consumption in the\u00a0 winemaking process has been reduced from 10 liters of water per liter of wine to two liters per liter of\u00a0 wine \u2013 a drastic difference of 80%.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Anne Bousquet, co-owner and CEO of Domaine Bousquet notes that water is the main\u00a0 resource that Argentina (and the world) must protect.\u00a0\u201cAs climate changes and snowfall amounts in the\u00a0 Andes mountains decrease gradually every year, water has become a limited resource, and its\u00a0 preservation is a pressing issue that we are tackling,\u201d\u00a0she says, noting that solutions have been found\u00a0 through sustainable drip irrigation technologies, as well as the construction of high-performance water\u00a0 treatment plants that reuse water from the winemaking process.<\/p>\n
Conclusion\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
While making progress for the future, attempting to undo the damage that\u2019s already been done is also\u00a0 at the forefront of Argentine winemakers\u2019 minds.\u00a0\u201cToday, a commitment to sustainability means not just\u00a0 reducing the impact of the wine business on the environment but also including techniques of\u00a0 regenerative agriculture that can heal the damage that has already been caused,\u201d\u00a0mentions Facundo\u00a0 Bonamaiz\u00f3n, Agricultural Engineer at Chakana Wines. These commitments include looking towards\u00a0 regenerative agriculture, moving towards organic farming, and implementing biodynamic principles.<\/p>\n
Not only do sustainable wines meet market demand, but they also hold the key to the future of\u00a0 Argentina\u2019s (and the world\u2019s) ability to continue to produce wine in an ecologically friendly way. As the\u00a0 effects of climate change rage on, Argentina remains committed to reducing their emission of\u00a0 greenhouse gas, moving towards organic farming, and investing in the education, lives, and overall well being of the people behind their viticultural sector.<\/p>\n
To celebrate the country\u2019s sustainability efforts and to focus on the regional differences amongst its\u00a0 many diverse growing sites, Wines of Argentina has recently launched a augmented reality web app.\u00a0 Click here to step into the\u00a0WofA Wine Bar\u00a0and discover more about Wines of Argentina.<\/p>\n
To learn more about the sustainable and inclusive initiatives being promoted through Wines of\u00a0 Argentina, particularly focused on encouraging an egalitarian balance of men and women in the wine\u00a0 sector,\u00a0click here.<\/p>\n
ABOUT WINES OF ARGENTINA\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
Wines of Argentina is the entity responsible for the VINOARGENTINO brand in the world. Since 1993,\u00a0 the organization has been promoting the image of regional wines abroad, in addition to helping guide\u00a0 the export strategy of Argentina, studying and analyzing the changes that occur in consumer markets. Its\u00a0 objective is to collaborate in the consolidation of Argentina among the main wine exporting countries of\u00a0 the world and contribute to the global success of the wine industry, by raising the positive perception in\u00a0 the trade of opinion leaders and consumers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW YORK, NY, February 17, 2022 \u2013\u00a0Many wine-producing countries are shifting their focus towards\u00a0 sustainability efforts, and Argentina is no exception. Now with over 75 certified organic wineries, the\u00a0 nation remains a leader in the pioneering of sustainable agricultural practices in South America \u2013 though\u00a0 organics is just the beginning.\u00a0\u201cToday, consumers around the world do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33090","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33090"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33090\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/domainebousquet.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}