As temperatures rise, more vineyards are moving to sustainable winemaking. David Carne reports from the frontline of the world’s first fully organic wine region
As global warming becomes an increasingly important issue, vineyards around the world are looking at how they can become more sustainable. While the second half of the twentieth century saw the rise of mass-produced, high-yield vineyards, often maintained through practices that were more focused on production than sustainable agriculture, the tide is now turning.
There is increasing recognition that sustainable agriculture is not only better for the environment, but that maintaining healthy soils, supporting ecosystems and reducing chemical inputs can also improve wine quality.
LEADING THE WAY
Spain is the European leader in sustainable winemaking, at least by area of certified organic vineyards. It is estimated that around 121,000 hectares of Spanish vineyards are now organically certified. Much of this innovation has been led by one region in particular – the Penedès in Catalonia.
From the 2025 harvest, the Penedès DO became the world’s first fully organic wine appellation, meaning all vineyards within the denomination are certified organic. In addition, between 2021 and 2025, the Cava Regulatory Board introduced requirements meaning that all wines in the Cava de Guarda Superior category are now produced from organically certified vineyards. This has helped drive a significant increase in organic Cava production, 95 per cent of which was already produced in the Penedès.
In February, I was fortunate enough to be invited by the Regulatory Board to visit the region and see these practices first-hand. Wineries were using sheep for natural fertilisation and cover-crop management, maintaining bee populations to support biodiversity, collecting and treating rainwater for irrigation and production use, implementing respectful pruning techniques, investing in photovoltaic panels, developing lighter-weight bottles and using cover crops such as grasses, legumes and wild plants between vine rows.
Many producers are also increasingly making dry and Brut Nature styles, reducing dosage levels and intervention in the final wine. Producers of the highest-quality wines are doing so without synthetic chemical sprays in the vineyard. The resulting wines rivalled some of the best Champagnes.
A QUICK GUIDE
But how do you know what practices are being used to make your sustainable wine? The world of sustainable wine is full of terms that sound similar but mean slightly different things. Here is a quick guide:
Sustainable wine is made from grapes grown using practices designed to reduce environmental impact while maintaining vineyard health. This often includes targeted spraying, water management, biodiversity initiatives and reducing energy use.
Organic wine is made from grapes grown without synthetic herbicides, pesticides, fungicides or fertilisers. Sulphite additions are often more tightly controlled than in conventional winemaking. Certified organic wines are verified by an approved certification body, and vineyards generally require around three years without prohibited chemical inputs before certification.
Biodynamic wine combines organic farming with a holistic philosophy that treats the vineyard as a living ecosystem. It includes biodiversity, composting, specific preparations and, in some cases, lunar calendars. Biodynamic wines are commonly certified by organisations such as Demeter or Biodyvin.
Regenerative viticulture focuses on restoring ecosystems, improving soil health, increasing biodiversity and carbon capture, while improving resilience and reducing environmental impact.
Natural or minimal intervention wine has no universally accepted definition but generally implies organically or biodynamically grown grapes with minimal intervention during winemaking and lower levels of additives. It used to be the case that minimal intervention wines were often considered a little ‘funky’, and sometimes they still are. Increasingly, however, wines produced using sustainable techniques are becoming more refined, expressive and high quality.
So next time you reach for a glass, perhaps you can also do your bit for the environment. And whatever you drink, please drink responsibly.
DAVID’S RECOMMENDATIONS (all sustainably produced)
Something Sparkling: Vins el Cep Claror Paratge Can Prats – £65.50, Amathus
One of the finest organic Cavas on the market. Baked apple, brioche, plum, toasted nuts and floral notes. Complex and delicious.
Something Fresh and Fruity: Tahbilk Viognier Nagambie Lakes 2025 – £13.49, Strictly Wine
Carbon neutral vineyard. Smooth, white fleshy fruits, melon and citrus meets ginger and florals for complex finish.
Something Big and Bold: Domaine Vigler L’Intemporel Côtes du Vivarais 2018 – £18.99, Barnstead Vinters
Transitioning to fully organic. Dark blackcurrant fruit, pepper and warm spices with violet notes. Smooth, woody and complex.
Something Classic: Babich Sauvignon Blanc – £13.75, Tesco
Certified sustainable. Passionfruit, stone fruits, grapefruit and some tropical notes, with a note of green bell pepper and minerality.
Something English: Denbies Cubitt Blanc de Noirs 2016 – £34.95, Denbies.co.uk
Citrus zest, apricot and red apple with nutty, biscuity complexity from extended bottle ageing. A champagne beater!
Something Different: Pardas Sus Scrofa – £14.04, Decantalo
A wine from the Penedès DO made from the virtually unheard of Sumoll variety. A medium bodied, fruity wine (red cherry, plum), with lavender and herbaceous, smoke and mineral notes.