What is the difference between a corporate winery and a local one? Consumers might have concerns about the quality of the product \u2013 does wine taste elegant and refined when it\u2019s mass-produced? Sommeliers might raise concerns over the uniqueness of the product \u2013 are the <\/span>tasting notes<\/span><\/a> interesting and challenging on the palette or is the product designed to appeal to the masses?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n One crucial difference between large and often non-organic vineyards compared to small, organic wine producers is the focus on community. Like all massive businesses, a non-organic vineyard \u2013 the type that mass produces wine seen everywhere from gas stations to grocery stores to chain restaurant menus \u2013 is not necessarily invested in the local community where its headquarters are. How can that be? It has employees, customers, and perhaps even shareholders from all over the world. There may be charity initiatives, but they are unlikely to be directed at the local community. At the end of the day, the main goal is financial.<\/span><\/p>\n At a small vineyard that produces organic wine, fitting into the local community is a <\/span>way of life<\/span><\/a>. This type of vineyard does not have to choose between making affordable, quality wine that consumers will fall in love with and giving back to the local community. Both goals can exist in harmony.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Curious to hear more about how vineyards that make organic wine, such as Domaine Bousquet, can bring balance into the local community? We talk about the benefits that organic vineyards bring to their surrounding neighbors.<\/span><\/p>\n Key takeaways:<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Savvy business owners know that there are many good reasons to hire locally. This practice <\/span>lowers the local unemployment rate<\/span><\/a> and therefore demonstrates that the business is invested in the local economy. An organic winemaker that hires local talent becomes a source of jobs for the community. That income is generated in the community and it stays there, ensuring a sustainable economy in the area.<\/span><\/p>\n At a non-organic vineyard, pesticides and herbicides are used liberally on crops. This not only achieves the desired goal of killing off insects and rodents; it also has an unfortunate side effect. It is detrimental to the health of the local population. This population not only includes the employees who are subjected to these toxic chemicals daily but the nearby community who may be unwittingly exposed to these same chemicals through the air and the water supply.<\/span><\/p>\n At a local, organic vineyard, community health is paramount. Employees and nearby residents are never exposed to harmful chemicals because these chemicals are not used.<\/span><\/p>\n A local organic winery is invested in the future of the community. As a result of local hiring practices, everyone on-site has a vested stake in ensuring that all decisions made benefit the surrounding environment and the people, plants, and animals that inhabit it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As an added benefit, local voices who contribute to the business practices and decisions of the organic vineyard are more likely to be knowledgeable about the unique terroir in which the wine is produced. This shows in farming practices and the final result is in the unique flavor of the wine itself, which often owes its distinctive profile to the minerals in the soil on the organic vineyard.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Organic wine is produced with <\/span>biodiversity<\/span><\/a> in mind. This means honoring the land by following the cycles of nature, eschewing the use of chemicals and synthetic additives, and allowing the local plant and animal populations to thrive.<\/span><\/p>\n The environment surrounding an organic vineyard is lush because the animals\u2019 habitats have not been depleted through the use of chemicals, and the water supply is pure and free from toxic runoff.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Businesses that have a foothold in a community are often actively invested in the future of it. As such, not only are business decisions made with the people in mind but giving back is typically targeted at bettering the local community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A local vineyard that makes organic wine can be a source of economic sustainability and community support for generations to come. By maintaining the organic certification of the farm, the vineyard is sending a message that future generations in the area deserve the same access to clean air, clean water, beautiful biodiversity, and a robust local economy that previous generations have enjoyed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Domaine Bousquet<\/span><\/a> considers the health and well-being of the local community with every decision we make. <\/span>95% of our employees are residents of Tupungato<\/span><\/a>. In addition to hiring locally, we further invest in our valued employees by offering enhanced training and issuing micro-loans.\u00a0 As we\u2019ve grown, we have set up infrastructure and been at the forefront of what is now a thriving network of local winemakers in the area. Through this network, we have actively invested in bettering our community by building a road to support employees and visitors. We also invest in the area by sponsoring local sports teams.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Perhaps most importantly, Domaine Bousquet pledges to remain an organic vineyard, which means never using chemicals, avoiding water waste, and even maintaining an <\/span>organic garden<\/span><\/a> so that the food in our on-site restaurant is a healthy as the grapes we grow to produce our wine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n
Hiring locally means investing in the local economy<\/b><\/h5>\n
Organic winemakers believe in community health<\/b><\/h5>\n
Being a local business means bringing in community voices<\/b><\/h5>\n
Organic wine is made with the local environment in mind<\/b><\/h5>\n
Organic vineyards often give back to the local community\u00a0<\/b><\/h5>\n
It is an investment in future generations<\/b><\/h5>\n
Community-minded organic wine from Domaine Bousquet\u00a0<\/b><\/h5>\n