What can a winery do to make its production cycle gentler on the environment where it’s located? Besides measures to care for the environment, there must also be a real commitment to the local community.
As we saw in a previous blog, the word sustainable implies different aspects that an industry or company can commit to, economically, socially, and environmentally. The principal objective is to ensure that, like the current generation, future generations are also able to meet their needs.
The website Cata del Vino explains the term sustainable was first used by the World Commision on Environment and Development (1987), and the aim was the efficient management of natural resources, as well as an adequate social organization.
The Spanish newspaper El País affirms that a sustainable wine means more than just ecological agriculture. In the article they explain that over-production has clear consequences: water is contaminated, biodiversity is lost, and soils are degraded (deterioration that can also affect producers that work nearby). So, it’s a profound conscientiousness, committing to more than just temporary fixes. The responsibility must be all-encompassing and long term.
Within this framework, Viñedos Veramonte took the initiative to create a community garden. It consists of handing over a plot of land on loan, as well as access to water and technical advice so that local producers could use the land, and was an excellent option for workers in the community. Just as the Sustainability site explains, a circular economy is a system that promotes the development of resources while prioritizing their efficient use. The cycle of nature is taken as an example of this.
What’s interesting is how the farmers cultivate their products, which are then bought at a fair price by the winery, which is then able to ensure that the products are of excellent quality. In general, the produce is used in our Calicata restaurant, and that way, both sides come away winning.
Giving space to traditions is also a great option to support the local community. Viñedos Veramonte has carried out this festival for the last four years (and we hope to resume it in 2021).
The event includes a fair where the visitors can buy different local products, as well as try wines from the winery, participate in wine tasting classes, attend concerts, and much more. It’s an event that doesn’t just celebrate wine, but also the traditions and local customs.
With respect to this statement, we’re referring to factors such as saving water and reducing our carbon footprint. These actions also impact the environment and the local community, and is clearly a task that must receive effort and resources.
In order to reach our goals, it’s important to address other problems, such as controlling pests and diseases with products that are animal, vegetable, or mineral in origin.
In order to be a sustainable winery, we cannot simply implement measures like recycling and reducing our use of chemicals during the production process. Being sustainable means involving ourselves in the community in different aspects, and taking the initiative when it comes to respecting the environment, in all its dimensions, so that it may continue in time.
