Green Awards 2018: the winners revealed

We profile the most ethical and environmentally friendly drinks companies of 2018 as we reveal the winners of this year’s Green Awards by the drinks business.

Following an awards ceremony yesterday afternoon at The Ivy in London, we can now state that California is source of the most certified-sustainable wine of any region in the world; that Chile is a pioneer in the promotion of biodiversity in vineyards, and England is home to this year’s most environmentally-friendly wine business, while a distillery in Finland is 2018’s Green Company of the Year.

The results were announced to all shortlisted entrants in this year’s Green Awards, along with key players in the wine and spirits trade, and a collection of past winners in the awards, which have been held each year since 2010.

Speaking at the start of the event, I stressed the fact that these awards, despite their eight-year history, are still the only set of industry gongs dedicated exclusively to all that’s green and alcoholic.

While it’s a great position for us to be in, I am surprised there aren’t more organisations rewarding environmentally-sound drinks operations – after all, being sustainable is the topic of our time.

Last year’s Green Personality, Michel Drappier, provided the Champagne for this year’s awards ceremony. Picture credit: winecellarplus.co.za

Thankfully, our annual awards celebrate the eco-conscious and ethical, and in doing so, draw attention to green leaders in the hope that this will encourage others to follow in their sustainable footsteps, and improve the overall image of wines, beers and spirits.

Importantly, there were some inspirational recipients this year, who prove that being green doesn’t just mean a bit of light-weighting and tree-planting.

As I’ve said before, if you’re going to play the sustainable card, you must consider all aspects of your operations – whether that’s energy use and generation, waste treatment, recycling rates, transport type, packaging weight and, importantly, how you can actually benefit your surroundings, socially and environmentally.

In terms of packaging, already drinks have a head start, and that’s because wines and spirits generally use glass, which may not be as light as plastic, but is a material that’s both inert and easily recycled.

We also use cork, which may not be perfect, but is a natural, biodegradable material that supports both extremely diverse ecosystems, as well as skilled agricultural labourers in poor and sparsely-populated parts of southwestern Europe.

However, in wine production specifically, we do use large amounts of water, and potentially damaging environmental inputs in the form of fungicides, pesticides and weed-killers.

Reducing water use and fungicide applications is a must, while, due to the advance in soil management techniques, it is now unacceptable for any winegrowing business to be applying poisonous chemicals to ground-cover plants.

Amorim sponsors the sustainability and biodiversity awards in The Drinks Business Green Awards, and provides cork frames for the certificates for all categories

Businesses, whatever the drinks sector, need to find ways to be sustainable from an economic as well as environmental perspective – and if margins are so low that corner-cutting comes at the expense of caring for employees and the natural environment, then one must question the business model.

With importers, distributors, retailers and consumers increasingly demanding ethically-sourced products that do as little as possible to pollute their environs, producers in all sectors of drinks industry must improve their green credentials to survive in the long term.

With that said, let us consider the greenest beacons in the business, be they generic organisations and major multinationals, or small vineyards and brand start-ups.

Before we do, db would like to state its thanks to our judges in 2018’s awards, along with our lead sponsor, Amorim, for its continued support of the sustainability and biodiversity awards, and the provision of cork-framed certificates for all our winners.

We are also extremely grateful to Ty Nant for the water, Gerard Bertrand for white, red and rosé from their Domaine Cigalus and Chateau la Sauvageonne wine estates, and Drappier for the sustainably-made Champagne.

If you want to see the categories in full, please click here, or, for some tips on ‘how to win’, please click here, and for more general information about The Drinks Business Green Awards, click here.

The winners of this year’s awards are featured below, and, if you want to see last year’s winners please click here.

Logistics and Supply Chain Green Initiative of the Year

myHillebrand documents the carbon emissions for every beverage consignment the company handles

Winner:
JF Hillebrand

Shipping by road, rail and sea is vital to many industries, the wine industry very much among them. But the more that is shipped the greater the carbon footprint. It has been estimated that if left unregulated sea-shipping alone could be responsible for 17% of CO2 emissions by 2050.

In April of this year the International Maritime Organisation adopted a new Greenhouse Gas emissions strategy aimed at cutting shipping emissions and JF Hillebrand has responded by creating a new order management platform, myHillebrand, that documents the carbon emissions for every beverage consignment it handles – an entirely original feature.

As such, Hillebrand’s customers are now able to calculate their carbon footprint and the and take the necessary steps to reduce the impact of their operations.

On top of this JF Hillebrand’s own goal is to reduce its carbon emissions by 45% from their 2008 levels by 2025.

By introducing measures such as ‘myHillebrand’ it is hoped that both it and its clients will be able to work together to make better shipping decisions with less of an environmental impact.

Green Launch of the Year

Although Sir David Attenborough does not endorse any products, he has given his seal of approval for the thinking behind the Sea Change wine brand

Winner:
10 International for Sea Change

The release of the BBC’s Blue Planet II last year brought about a notable change in attitudes towards the health of the world’s oceans and, in particular, the effect upon it of plastics.

Riffing on this proverbial sea change is 10 International and its new range, ‘Sea Change’ – a series of three wines designed to reduce packaging waste and support ocean conservation.

The bottles are made from 85% recycled glass and are lightweight to help minimise emissions. The labels are produced from a mixture of grape waste (15%) and materials from FSC certified forests.

For every bottle sold, 25 euro cents will be donated to two UK charities: Plastics Oceans UK and Sea-Changers which work to not only raise awareness of the impact of plastics in the sea but also to reduce that effect through beach clean-ups and supporting conservation efforts.

The judges were highly impressed with the launch commenting on its timeliness and that it was “really tapping into the zeitgeist”.

The wines themselves, a white, a red and a rosé, are sourced from Château Canet in Minervois where the vines are farmed sustainably.

Commendation:
Vintage Roots for Wild Thing

In a similar vein, the judges wished to commend a similar range of wines from longstanding organic wine retailer, Vintage Roots.

Its ‘Wild Thing’ range was developed in association with The Born Free Foundation to help raise funds to support animal conservation around the world.

Furthermore, the wines are all carbon offset, Vintage Roots having offset its carbon footprint since 2005.

To revitalise the brand and reinforce its message, BD Creative were brought in for a redesign this year, which has led to an increase in sales of 35% this August/September, compared with the same period last year. The wine is now stocked in 114 outlets across the UK and the Prosecco label will be redesigned next year.

Organic Initiative of the Year

Winner:
Waitrose for ‘Just for you’ organic wine competition

UK supermarkets have worked overtime to bolster their drinks ranges with more organic products, and none more so than Waitrose, whose efforts came to fruition this year and helped the grocer win this year’s award for Best Organic Initiative. The company has the largest range of organic wines of any UK supermarket with 55 available, adding 36 in one year alone. In the last 12 months the Waitrose increased its efforts to make organic drinks visible, publishing a sales report outlining their performance in-store earlier this year, as well as offering customers a 25% discount on organic wines throughout October, but it was the supermarket’s ‘Just For You’ competition that impressed the judges, which saw more than 5,200 attempt to win a case of 12 organic wines. The speed at which Waitrose has ramped up its offering shows a sustained commitment to a broad and compelling organic drinks offer.

The Renewable Energy Implementation Award

Chile’s VSPT Group has embraced a range of renewables from biomass, hydro and solar to ensure 60% of this company’s energy is now from renewable sources, with the aim to reach 100% by 2021

Winner:
Viña San Pedro, VSPT Wine Group

This year’s winner has been focused on developing initiatives to improve its sustainable development for the past 10 years. Chile’s VSPT Group has already proposed a goal to using 100% renewable energy by 2021, a pledge which started in 2016 with the opening of Viña San Pedro winery, which benefits from the first Biogas Plant in the wine industry. Using organic waste from harvest as the only fuel, the facility is capable of generating 1 MW power each month, providing 60% of the winery’s energy consumption. The group also introduced a mini hydroelectric plant at its El Rosario estate in 2016, enabling it to harness the water flow from the Maipo River to generate 250 KW of electric energy, providing 60% of the winery’s energy consumption. To meet its 2021 goal, the group plans to install solar panels at all of its estates, with energy generated used to power technical irrigation and a smaller winemaking operation at Viña San Pedro in Cachapoal. This project will allow it to generate a further 2.6 MW per month – equivalent to the consumption of 1,844 homes. In addition, a further solar panel project will be implements at Viña San Pedro in 2019, capable of generating 1.3 MW electric power for the winemaking operations at the winery. Our judges were impressed by the level of investment made by VSPT, which was done so with a clear goal in mind. Most importantly, the strategy employed by VSPT was practical in its approach, with the company not choosing to hitch its wagon to just one technology, but across biomass, hydro and solar, which judges noted to be a wise move when operating in a country that can periodically be impacted by both El Nino and La Nina climactic cycles.

Commendation:
Australian Vintage Ltd

A commendation goes to Australian Vintage, which in the past year has accelerated its environmental agenda across its wineries with a raft of sustainability initiatives as part of a significant investment, having installed major solar energy projects at three sites across Australia. In February 2018, we completed the final phase of our 1.65MW solar installation at our Buronga Hill facility, which is the third largest winery in Australia. The investment means Australian Vintage now has one of the largest privately-owned solar parks at an Australian winery. Solar power panels now supply approximately 30% of the winery’s annual electricity usage, with significant savings in CO2 greenhouse emissions. Solar panels have also been installed at its Merbein packaging facility, which has cut electricity usage by 10%, and it is in the process of installing further panels at its Hunter Valley winery and McGuigan Cellar Door, due to be completed in December. Thais will cut electricity usage at that site by up to 40%. The company has also stepped-up its waste-water management system, using the nutrient-rich water from its winery operations to irrigate a 50-acre wood and a newly established 50-acre vineyard at the winery. While the breadth of its efforts were applauded, it was the size and scale of the company’s solar panel installations that most impressed judges, demonstrating significant investment and dedication to long-term sustainability.

Shortlist:
Altia Plc
Australian Vintage Ltd
Pernod Ricard Winemakers
Viña San Pedro, VSPT Wine Group

The Water Management Award

Jackson Family Wines has reduced its water consumption by more than one third since 2008, despite a significant increase in production over the same period

Winner:
Jackson Family Wines

Passionate about making wine in the most responsible manner, Jackson Family Wines has shown an impressive commitment to valuing precious water resources. It has reduced its water consumption by around 34%, saving around 31 million gallons of water a year since 2008, while simultaneously boosting production. This admirable feat has come through tracking water usage, boosting efficiency, and utilizing new barrel washing and other technologies, such as vertical reverse osmosis membranes, to recycle water up to ten times. Investing in vineyard water conservation, it also captures rainwater for the cooling towers and reuses winery water for irrigation, measures that have enabled the company to use only 3.9 gallons of water to produce a gallon of water – around half the amount of the US industry average. It also supports local tributaries, working with the National Marine Fisheries Service and California Department of Fish and Wildlife to protect salmon habitats, and supports the recharging of local groundwater aquifers.

Commendation:
Chivas Brothers

Scotch whisky producer Chivas Brothers was highly commended for measures that will see it achieve a net reduction in water consumption of 20% by 2020. Annual water mapping at its Dalmunach distillery have minimized its impact on its water source, the River Spey, while collecting rainfall from site roadways alleviates high flows and ensures no pollution enters the river from the site. It is also sponsoring research by a PhD student from Aberdeen University into water catchment and hydrological models at The Glenlivet.

Shortlist:
Chivas Brothers
Jackson Family Wines
Pernod Ricard Winemakers Spain

Amorim Sustainability Award for a Generic Organisation

209 million cases of wine are produced in a certified winery

Winner:
California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance

This generic organisation impressed judges with its dedication to sustainable winegrowing in California, and proven results in encouraging producers to convert their vineyards to accredited sustainable practices. In just 15 years, the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) has made a significant impact on its region, promoting more environmentally friendly practices within the wine trade, while supporting efforts to protect its environment. Judges applauded the organisation for its top down approach, considering all aspects of sustainability, with its entry backed up with lots of figures outlining its clear successes in 2017. Among the organisation’s milestones of 2017 and 2018 was its continued growth of its Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (Certified Sustainable) accreditation, its Down to Earth campaign – a month-long celebration of sustainable winegrowing – as well as its on-going Outreach and Education programme to help better inform and advance the industry. Through annual third-party audits, its Certified Sustainable accreditation provides assurances relating to the sustainability of a producer’s soil health, water and energy use, habitat and human resources. Certified vineyards and wineries must also measure resources and performance and improve annually. In 2017, CSWA released the first Certified Sustainable Annual Report, highlighting a 46% increase in the number of certified vineyards and 20% increase in the number of certified wineries. Currently, 60,671 hectares (149,922 acres) of vineyards are certified, and 209 million cases of wine are produced in a certified winery. In addition, in 2017 a new logo for the certification on wine labels was introduced to raise recognition and awareness of its brand. Already, more than 540,000 cases of 2017 vintage will carry the new logo.

Commendation:
Napa Valley Vintners

Operating under the mantra to “promote, protect and enhance the Napa Valley”, Napa Valley Vintner impressed judges with their dedication and focus on sustainability. Established in 1944, its members are encouraged to adhere to the organisation’s Napa Green Certification Program – a comprehensive sustainability certification program for vineyards and wineries in the Napa Valley. Measures required include protecting and restoring the Napa River watershed; saving energy and water; reducing waste and carbon footprint; and being conscientious employers and good neighbours, with independent, third party certification audits carried out annually. In 2015, NVV set itself goal to have all eligible members (those who own 5 acres of vineyard land or a winery facility) signed up to a Napa Green programme by the end of 2020. Through dedicated marketing, PR and educational outreach efforts, the NVV has been able to dramatically increase participation from 30% in 2015, to 70% as of October 2018. Today, more than 55% of Napa Valley’s vineyard acreage has achieved Napa Green Land certification (NGCL), representing more than 24,000 vineyard acres and another 22,000+ acres of non-vineyard land across more than 400 properties. It has since set itself a target of 100% membership by 2022. Judges in particular praised the implementation of a simple and clear ‘100 measures’ initiative to Napa Green, encouraging members to meet clear criteria to reduce energy and increase water efficiency, reduce waste and cut greenhouse gas emissions. In just 28 months, the scheme has helped saved Napa Green wineries more than $500,000 in energy rate adjustments and identified rebate potential for efficiency upgrades, supporting the economic sustainability of the region.

Amorim Sustainability Award for a Company

Based in Kent, Davenport Vineyards was founded by winemaker Will Davenport in 1991

Winner:
Davenport Vineyards

This year the Amorim Sustainability Award for a company went to English wine producer, Davenport Vineyards. Based in Kent, Davenport Vineyards was founded by winemaker Will Davenport in 1991 with a six-acre vineyard. It has since expanded to 24 acres, all of which were certified organic in 2000, and produces around 35,000 bottles of white, red and sparkling wines each year. Will is a passionate advocate of sustainable winemaking, believing that even the smallest of producers can make a big difference. The team only applies green waste compost and organic poultry manure to its vineyards, and vine health and vigour is recorded on an app allowing it to target compost applications. The vineyard has permanent green manure cover and vines are treated only with sulphur, copper, seaweed, and comfrey / nettle tea: no herbicides are used, avoiding the high-energy costs used in the production of NPK fertilisers and the risk of chemical run-off. The team minimise the use of copper each year, only spraying when required, and pesticides are avoided completely. The headlands and land around the vineyard are managed to encourage biodiversity, and the farm is in the UK’s Countryside Stewardship Scheme, with a new agreement planned for 2019. Wider measures include the use of solar panels, LED lighting and the use of lightweight glass bottles with minimal packaging. The winery itself is not heated, with wines fermented at ambient temperatures, and all chemicals are avoided in the winemaking process, while sulphite additions are minimal. Yeast is not added, along with fining agents, and wines are often bottled unfiltered. Furthermore, all of its wine is sold in the UK, the majority within just 100 miles of the winery. Demonstrating a strong commitment to a sustainable ethos, judges were particularly impressed by Davenport’s honest entry, where every element of its impact on the environment had been considered, and every action taken with a clear purpose toward becoming more sustainable. Furthermore, judges felt it done with the heart.

Commendation:
Pernod Ricard Winemakers Spain

Wine giant Pernod Ricard was rewarded with a commendation in recognition of its dedication to creating a more sustainable future for its wineries in Spain. Its state-of-the-art winery, Bodegas Campo Viejo, opened in 2001 following the principles of sustainable architecture, seamlessly integrated with the environment to minimise its impact. It was the first Spanish winery to certify its Carbon Footprint to the ISO 14064 standard, meaning that the winery is constantly monitoring its greenhouse gas emissions to ensure it is sustainable. To offset its carbon footprint, 57 hectares of vineyard and 26 hectares of woodland surround the winery, with the aim of capturing carbon released during fermentation at the winery. A lot of organic by-products, such as leftover grape skins, are reused as fertilisers or sent to other companies who use them as raw material. Other actions taken include not using any boilers that use fossil fuels and reducing the weight of its bottles, from 550g to 380g, effectively reducing glass usage by a third. The winery limits water use to just 0.77l per bottle, compared with 2.25l used by most Spanish wineries, saving more than 20 Olympic pools of water every year. A network of water metres is positioned throughout the winery to ensure water consumption is kept to a minimum. The team also works closely with grape growers and suppliers to ensure they adhere to the sustainable guidelines of AENOR, the Spanish Association for Standardisation and Certification. Overall, judges praised the company for its adoption of renewable energy and water saving initiatives, and loved the fact that it was apparent that the employees had really been involved in the company’s drive for sustainability.

Shortlist:
Altia Plc
California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance
Cono Sur Winery
Davenport Vineyards
Glengoyne Distillery
Napa Valley Vintners
Pernod Ricard Winemakers Spain

Amorim Biodiversity Award

The Wine, Climate Change and Biodiversity Programme is a project based on a collaboration of 20 wineries

Winner:
Wine, Climate Change and Biodiversity Programme

Another brilliant Chilean initiative, the Wine, Climate Change and Biodiversity Programme is a project based on a collaboration of 20 wineries that promotes the strategic use of nature within and around vineyards, thereby encouraging more biodiversity-rich wine landscapes.

A total of 20 Chilean wineries of varying sizes are involved in the project that collectively account for 70% of Chilean wine exports. Among those involved are Santa Rita, Montes, Emiliana, Errazuriz and Concha y Toro. Importantly, whatever their size, they are all working towards the same credible environmental goals. Among the group’s current initiatives to encourage biodiversity are the introduction of conservation areas, building nest boxes for birds, the creation of biological corridors in the vineyards and planting cover crops between the vines.

As part of the project, 26,499 hectares of Chilean forest has been protected by its partner wineries, which equates to an 11% increase in protected land within the Chilean Mediterranean forest area. In addition, four endemic threatened species thought to be extinct have been re-discovered, including the elusive güiña, the smallest wildcat in the Americas.

It’s wonderful that 20 wineries should have gotten together to do this, after all, this is not done by a generic association; it’s a science-based winery initiative.

The judges loved the video that came with the pitch, which featured people going out into the vineyards on horseback, rather than in vehicles.

Commendation:
Pernod Ricard Winemakers (Jacob’s Creek)

Jacob’s Creek submitted a strong entry focused on the re-introduction and preservation of native species in and around the creek. Our judges wanted to commend it for working towards an ambitious and worthy 2020 plan to significantly enhance biodiversity at Jacob’s Creek in Australia’s Barossa Valley and have a lasting impact on the local ecosystem. Over 6,500 native plants have been established around the creek over the last two years, and native species populations are on the rise, particularly rare native fish.

Shortlist:
Nonni Strategic Marketing (for Ferrari Trentodoc)
Pernod Ricard Winemakers
Pernod Ricard Winemakers Spain
Wine, Climate Change and Biodiversity Program
Viña San Pedro, VSPT Wine Group

Ethical Company of the Year

VSPT and the government have united to turn the Mapuche people of the Buchahueico Community into skilled viticulturists with a guaranteed return

Winner:
Viña San Pedro, VSPT Wine Group

From drinking responsibly to commiting to renewable energy VSPT Wine Group is something of a trailblazer when it comes to ethical winemaking. Having been named Green Company of the year in 2016 by the drinks business, VSPT has now committed to producing all of its wines using 100% renewable energy within the next three years.

In 2015 Viña San Pedro began an innovative model of collaborative work with an indigenous Mapuche community in the south of Chile, called Buchahueico. The initiative, which sees VSPT help the community to cultivate its own vineyards and sell the yields back to the group for a fair price, has so far seen 10 hectares of Pinot Noir planted in the Malleco Valley, Araucanía region. Members of the community have to migrate to the city in search of working opportunities in the past, but VSPT’s project has allowed many to stay in their homeland, as well as helping them to farm sustainably. The first commercial harvest took place this year, and VSPT plans to bring the resulting wine to market in March next year. In doing this, the winery group efforts has managed combine sustainable drinks production with breaking down barriers between Chileans and the country’s indigenous people.

Runner-up:
Spier Wine Farm

South Africa’s wine industry has struggled with severe challenges over the past few years, and not only has Stellenbosch-based Spier Hotel & Wine Farm thrived, it has done so with sustainability and altruism at its heart. In 2018, all Spier wines and offerings began displaying the Growing for Good icon – and subsequently launched a number of community-led initiatives as part of the Growing for Good campaign, which ranged from sourcing and training unemployed young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in their first jobs, to teaching impoverished communities how to look after indigenous plants which can be exchanged for essentials such as food vouchers, bicycles, educational support.

Commendation:
Pernod Ricard Winemakers USA    

In a category crammed with excellent contenders, the judges wanted to award a commendation to Pernod Ricard Winemakers USA for its generous and decisive actions following the wildfires in California last year.

Shortlist:
Co-op
Elephant Gin
Montes
Pernod Ricard Winemakers USA
Spier Wine Farm
Viña San Pedro, VSPT Wine Group

Green Company of the Year

Altia’s biofuel power plant at the Koskenkorva factory uses barley husk as a fuel

Winner:
Altia Plc

Nordic drinks company Altia Plc took the top spot due to the bio and circular economy employed at its Koskenkorva distillery in Finland – meaning that none of the 200 million kilos of Finnish grain it uses each year goes to waste. Around a quarter of the barley is used for grain spirit production, with a third used for animal feed and another 36% going to starch production for the packaging industry. Even the husk is used to fuel the bioenergy power plant that steams the distillation process, with the resulting ash used as a fertilizer. After collecting the Carbon Dioxide generated for greenhouse cultivation, its CO2 emissions have already come down by 56%, while increased energy efficiency has seen energy use drop by 5.5%. It is also committed to preventing nutrients leaching into the river and the Baltic sea by capturing carbon in the soil through better farming practices and avoiding wash-off into waterways.

Runner-up:
Pernod Ricard Winemakers

Pernod Ricard Winemakers has gone beyond a commitment to improve water and energy efficiency, reduce waste and green house gas emissions, by embracing measures to boost biodiversity in areas local to its wine operations. This ranges from replanting unused land with native vegetation at Jacob’s Creek in Australia to providing nesting sites for endangered bird at the Kaituna Wetland in New Zealand. Other measures include going paperless at its distribution centres, moving to light-weight glass and implementing geothermal heating and cooling at its visitor centre in Spain.

Commendation:
Hallgarten & Novum Wines

The judges also recognsied Hallgarten & Novum Wines for its environmentally-friendly redesign of its Luton admin centre, which significantly reduced energy consumption and led to the development of an environmental management system that oversaw ISO14001 certification.

Shortlist:
Altia Plc
Angove Family Winemakers
Conte Tasca d’Almerita
Hallgarten & Novum Wines
Pernod Ricard Winemakers
The Sustainable Spirit Co

Green Retailer of the Year

Honest Grapes provides tips on how customers can personally reduce their impact on the environment

Winner:
Honest Grapes

We were impressed with Honest Grapes’ goal and responsibility to minimise its impact on the environment. The retailer takes this plight so seriously that it recently conducted a grape to glass study in order to address various issues affecting its supply chain.

The study led to three key goals going forward: only working with wineries that use sustainable production methods; reducing the movement of wine during the distribution process; and educating customers about the company’s green initiatives on the Honest Grapes blog via targeted posts that include tips on how customers can personally reduce their impact on the environment.

In switching from Airpack to Natpack, the retailer has reduced its plastic use by 90% in wine deliveries that require repackaging. To avoid using refrigerated transport, Honest grapes schedules deliveries around weather conditions.

Its in-bond wines are stored at Octavian, whose cellars are located 100 feet below the Wiltshire hills, meaning no additional energy is needed for temperature and humidity control.

Looking ahead, Honest Grapes is considering taking on more wines packaged in the bag-in-box and flat-pack formats in order to further reduce its environmental impact by lessening its use of glass bottles.

Green Personality of the Year

Cindy DeVries, COO of Fetzer Vineyards

This year’s personality was selected for her single-minded drive to ensure one business lives and breathes sustainability. Working within a major producer of organic and biodynamic grapes, she has devoted 25 years to this business, furthering its commitment to environmentally-responsible winegrowing, while successfully navigating two changes in ownership.

This year, the operation, based in California, celebrates its 50th anniversary, having achieved both Zero Waste and Carbon Neutral certifications under our recipient’s management within the past three years.

In the past year alone, DeVries has been instrumental in California’s commitment to adopt 100% carbon-free electricity by 2045, and in 2019, will be a speaker at Porto’s Climate Change Leadership conference.

Green Lifetime Achievement Award

José Roquette, founder of Esporão

This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award went to a person who started life in banking but, since the 70s, has driven a successful wine business, while creating a green leader in the world of drinks production. Indeed, the business he founded in Portugal back in 1973 was a previous winner of our Sustainability Award, and has been a shortlisted company for other categories in former ceremonies, not least the winery’s worthy attempt to prevent the construction of the Tua Valley dam in the beautiful Douro Valley, near Porto, where our recipient was raised.

At his winery estate, which is based in the Alentejo, he has created a wetland conservation area, and made the company the first in the wine business to join the ‘Countdown 2010’ biodiversity initiative, as well as converted his entire production to organic farming. In particular he has spearheaded an ampelographic vineyard to preserve almost 200 native Portuguese grape varieties, while, also, proving his socially-responsible bent, provided free English classes for his employees, while adopting an ethical business code.

Now in his 80s, our recipient has done an enormous amount to further ecological and ethical initiatives in the wine business in Portugal, making him a very worthy recipient of 2018’s Green Lifetime Achievement Award.

About the db Green Awards

The drinks business has been a pioneering champion of green initiatives in all aspects of the drinks trade for more than a decade, beginning its promotion of the good work to advance sustainability in our industry with a ‘green issue’ in January 2007.

This highlighted the efforts being made by companies to reduce carbon emissions during transport, improve soil health in viticulture, and advance sustainability more generally, especially through the adoption of lighter packaging.

Then, in 2009, we published the trade’s first ever ‘Green List’, which was devised to draw attention to the world’s most environmentally-friendly personalities, be they at the helm of drinks retailers, associations or producers.

Causing a huge stir in the global trade, it saw us rank those with the greatest influence on furthering green initiatives, featuring the likes of Wholefoods chairman John Mackey and climate change activist and Spanish wine industry legend Miguel Torres.

One year later came our launch of the drinks industry’s inaugural Green Awards, designed to celebrate ‘the keenly green in drinks’, which has been running ever since – and is still the only set of industry gongs to reward all that is environmentally sensitive and socially-responsible.

Over the past eight years, it has expanded to mark the growing importance of sustainability in drinks production and all other aspects of the trade, while also enlarging to celebrate particular aspects to the greening of operations, such as a shift to renewable energy, a move to enhance the efficient use of water, and those investments to augment biodiversity.

Today, the Green Awards comprises as many as 12 categories, drawn up to reward businesses in a range of fields, along with brands from all sectors of the drinks industry, and, crucially, the personalities who are really making a difference to the sustainability of this trade.

For more information about the Green Awards and to enter, contact:

Lewis O’Sullivan on email at lewis@unionpress.co.uk

Or Rhiannon Morris on email at rhiannon.morris@unionpress.co.uk

Or call db on +44 (0)207 803 2420