Sustainability in Chilean wine

As in other areas of the world, most of Chile’s vineyards are located in regions with defined seasons. Dry summers are followed by seasonal rains that begin only in the autumn, providing a good natural framework for growing healthy vines.

However, increasing production volumes and the industrialisation of the Chilean wine industry in the past have affected the environment. Producers today are acknowledging this impact, and consequently the idea of sustainability has begun to gain strength.

Since 2008, efforts have been made to regulate the production of wines in Chile, from the vineyard to bottling and transportation. ‘Today there is a sustainability code that originally covered vineyards, winery, bottling and social responsibility. This year, we added a new area of wine tourism,’ says Patricio Parra, who is the head of the sustainability project for Wines of Chile.

The code certifies aspects such as waste management, maintenance of native trees, integrated pest management, rational use of water in the winery and the wellbeing of workers and communities. When the requirements of all areas of the code have been met, certification allows wineries to use sustainability seals on their bottles.

‘Although certification in the vineyard, for example, is not as strict as that of a certified biodynamic entity, there is a strong commitment to produce wine of high sustainability standards,’ adds Parra.

Initially, in 2011, the Certification Code was signed by 11 Chilean wineries. By last year there were already 76 committed wineries, which today represent 80% of the wine that Chile produces.