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Emiliana Organic Vineyards marks Coyam wine’s 20th anniversary

01 July 2024 By Michael Huband

Emiliana is marking Coyam’s milestone, while highlighting its sustainability strategy, seven certifications, and commitment to land protection.

Twenty years of producing a wine (not to mention 26 years of organic practices) is a milestone worthy of consideration. As both an excuse to consider the journey travelled and a prompt to make bold plans, such an anniversary requires special recognition.

This year, Emiliana Organic Vineyards releases the 20th-anniversary vintage of its Coyam red blend, first produced in the 2001 vintage. It has given the Chilean producer an excuse to renew its commitment to sustainability.

Of course, this being the wine trade, it is also inspiration for a beautiful new release. Emiliana has produced a limited run of 60,000 bottles of the 2021 vintage of Coyam, bearing labels that pay tribute to the wine’s particular story. Each of the three versions features a photograph of a different part of an oak tree, rendered in striking monochrome, above a proud declaration of the 20th vintage.

It is not simply an artistic choice. The images are of trees from Emiliana’s own estate. Indeed, they are the trees that surround Coyam’s vineyards in Colchagua. This cuvée has always been made in direct connection with the local landscape, as even the name pays tribute to the surrounding forests. Coyam is derived from the term for oak in the indigenous Mapudungun language.

Coyam’s connection to the land is particularly important. Along with Emiliana’s wine Novas, it was the company’s first organic wine when it launched with the 2001 vintage.

Far from virtue-signalling or greenwashing, the switch to organic and biodynamic has been central to the wine’s success. The team believes it has got better with every year the vineyards have been worked organically. Winemaker Noelia Orts says: “It maintains its unique identity, intimately connected to nature and elegantly adapted to climate change.”

Certainly, that is borne out by the wine’s international success. The first vintage of Coyam won the Best in Show and Best Blend accolades for Emiliana at the inaugural Wines of Chile Awards. More recently, it has continued to garner international praise: for instance, it was featured as one of the top 10 wines of the Global Organic Masters 2020 and appeared as one of James Suckling’s Top 100 Wines of Chile in 2023.

The trajectory reflects Emiliana’s own journey as it has unwaveringly developed its sustainability programme. After that early adoption of organics – it was among the first wineries in the country to be certified – it has achieved certifications and recognition consistently since.

Among the many achievements, in 2011, it achieved Fair for Life certification, recognising its work in social responsibility. In 2012, Emiliana was named Green Winery of the Year by the drinks business and obtained certification for the Sustainability Code of Vinos de Chile. More recently, in 2023, it achieved its first Regenerative Organic Certification and, this year, Emiliana has achieved B Corp Certification.

The producer shows no signs of stopping, however. It has this year published a comprehensive strategy to enhance its sustainability initiatives. Having pioneered sustainable winemaking in Chile for more than two decades, the plans offer clear indications of its continued focus. Its title, The Future is Organic, is a bold statement, but one which makes perfect sense for the world’s largest organic winery. Its impressive scale involves managing over a thousand hectares of organic and biodynamic land, and selling one million cases.

With an overarching aim to reconnect people with nature, the strategy divides into three areas of focus: organics, the planet and people. Under each remit, there are several facets to consider, with both certifications and new initiatives playing a role in shaping the company’s development. Fittingly, given its decades- long track record, the goals are bold and broad, maintaining Emiliana’s reputation for sustainability and establishing it as a leading company for the planet and its people.

The plans regarding organic production are particularly bold. The starting-point may be organic production, but the strand also encompasses biodynamic production and regenerative farming, as well as research and development initiatives, all while maintaining 100% organic production. Maintaining the high standards of its existing certifications is a high priority for Emiliana, but it will use these to achieve even higher standards. It plans, for instance, for all its vineyards to have regenerative organic certification by 2025. In that same year, it intends to launch a new research partnership with an international organisation to promote organic research.

When considering the planet, Emiliana’s goals understandably prioritise the impact of climate change. In order to do its part, the winery is switching to renewable energy for its electricity, in order to hit an ambitious target of a 46% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Its water management programme is using technological solutions to reduce consumption, while it has committed to making all its packaging reusable, compostable or recyclable by 2025. There is also a biodiversity focus, with biological corridors, cover crops and protected areas helping to protect the local ecosystem, and all connected to its organic production

Finally, Emiliana is looking to care for its partners in a sustainable way. The focus on people includes direct provisions, for instance in offering scholarships for workers’ children and supporting community groups. However, it also involves an administrative element that protects workers’ rights, such as in developing its forthcoming diversity, equality and inclusion strategy, or in creating whistleblowing channels. The company’s Fairtrade certification is proof of its longstanding commitment to its team.

The strategy is comprehensive and bold, but for a company that has pioneered sustainable practices, what else could it be? As the 20th vintage of Coyam demonstrates, there is still ample appetite for wines made with the planet and people in mind. Certainly, it places Emiliana in a good position for many years to come.