Sustainability
At Alliance Wine we aim to go one step further and generate positive impact in the wine sector by embedding and executing our positive impact strategy within the team and our business strategy. Alliance Wine’s positive impact strategy also aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This is the start of a longer journey. As a first conscious step, we have started this journey by creating a positive impact strategy, based on the analysis of our company as a whole, in which the actions of our individual departments, and our network of wineries and growers shape our whole impact.
Behind the scenes, Alliance Wine has been working on the execution of this positive impact strategy taking into consideration the triple balance between people, planet and profit, while maintaining a holistic and systemic approach, and using innovation consciously to solve problems.
🔗You can read our latest Positive Impact Report (2024) here.
We are all – consciously or unconsciously - on this journey now. We embark to embed positive impact into our everyday practices in the world of wine.
On this page, we will update you with our most recent articles on sustainability matters and aim to address your questions - or at least the ones we have the answers to!
Sustainability FAQs
If we google the word sustainability, we will mainly find images associated with the environment. It is quite unusual to find pictures of people when we definitely have a direct effect on the natural environment. Our impact is holistic, not only to the environment but also to the rest of society and all of forms of business. It is important to understand sustainability as a systemic correlation between different parts of a whole system. We need to understand all of them, their interactions, causation, and apply scientific knowledge in this field.
Education, collaboration, transparency and trust are some of the most powerful leverage tools within the sustainability framework for Alliance Wine.
Education is key to generating more impact within society and accentuating the importance for businesses to confront the global, environmental and economic that we are currently facing.
Collaboration is essential to find common ground for the challenges that every professional in the wine sector, and society, in general, are having to deal with.
Sustainability and Positive Impact are concepts that can be used synonymously, but the meanings are slightly different. SUSTAINABILITY is based on the idea of how the world should be to be able to secure our needs and continue growing without compromising future generations. When we talk about POSITIVE IMPACT, we refer to a powerful effect that something, especially something new, has on someone or something. Positive Impact moves one step ahead. It is based on the idea of executing sustainability strategies and applying them to business models, so as to create products and services that offer solutions to the challenges that we are facing. Alliance Wine aims to create products and offer services to our customers that require an innovative mind-set and offer real solutions to real problems.
Considering the current climate emergency, our positive impact strategy embraces an important number of environmental challenges. Several working groups are focused on the relevant areas of our operational activities, such as a greenhouse gas emissions inventory for scopes 1-3 to establish annual reduction targets with an important interest in the optimization of national and international supply chain activities, as well as insetting activities within our supply chain. Initiatives are also being undertaken based on external energy assessment in order to reduce energy usage in our facilities. As well as waste management and policies to streamline our operations and reduce our waste disposal. Furthermore, environmental standards are being set regarding business decisions and relationships with our suppliers. All these activities require the use of circular economy and innovation in all areas as leverage tools.
People are the centre of any positive impact strategy. For this reason, we focus an important part of our resources on social objectives established in our positive impact strategy. Our employees are the heart of this new culture, so we want to enhance their professional growth and welfare with diverse internal activities such as employee development and well-being initiatives. These include the introduction of positive impact responsibilities in job descriptions to maintain a holistic approach to our strategy. Finally, we embrace other social challenges, such as encouraging responsible drinking through the creation of a genuine social responsibility policy.
Our Positive Impact Partners
As part of our commitment to making a positive impact, Alliance Wine has partnered with a number of organisations to help us to achieve our objectives and to support the wider drinks industry.
ACHILLES
Achilles is a global leader in supply chain risk management and compliance. They offer a Carbon Reduction Certification that helps businesses measure, verify, and reduce their carbon emissions. This certification supports organizations in achieving long-term carbon reduction goals by providing rigorous, science-based verification of greenhouse gas emissions. It includes comprehensive assessments of Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, ensuring transparency and credibility in carbon management efforts.
DEEP PLANET
Deep Planet is a global AgriTech company founded by Oxford University scientists and engineers. They leverage machine learning and satellite imagery to address environmental challenges in agriculture. Their solutions help optimise crop yields, reduce irrigation and fertilizer costs, and enhance sustainability. Deep Planet's innovative technology supports farmers and landowners in managing resources more efficiently and achieving environmental resilience.
DRINKS TRUST
The Drinks Trust is a charity dedicated to supporting the drinks and hospitality workforce by providing financial assistance, well-being services, and educational resources. They aim to create a healthier, more equitable industry by offering practical support and fostering a compassionate community.
HARPERS SUSTAINABILITY CHARTER
The Harpers Sustainability Charter is aimed at UK-based drinks-related trades and sectors, championing those that are demonstrably advancing sustainable best practices across their businesses, and thus helping advance the wider trade in meeting globally pressing sustainability goals.
PORTO PROTOCOL
The Porto Protocol is a global initiative founded by Taylor’s Port to combat climate change in the wine industry. It unites stakeholders to share solutions and best practices, promoting sustainability and reducing environmental impact through collaboration and knowledge exchange.
WINE IN MODERATION
Wine in Moderation is an international program that promotes responsible wine consumption. It encourages moderation and provides education about the benefits of enjoying wine in a balanced and mindful way. The initiative aims to foster a responsible wine culture by offering guidelines and resources to help avoid excessive drinking and ensure wine is enjoyed responsibly.
You can view our Alcohol Policy here.
Our Positive Impact Initiatives
Alliance Wine has introduced a broad range of projects relating to making a positive impact. Some of the initiatives we have launched include:
DEEP PLANET PARTNERSHIP
Alliance Wine has partnered with AgriTech innovators Deep Planet to go beyond traditional carbon offsetting and introduce carbon insetting to our business practices. Together, we're exploring regenerative farming practices to improve soil health, using AI and satellite imagery to monitor carbon sequestration in vineyards and collaborating with our producers to create a more sustainable wine industry - supporting Alliance Wine's long-term goal of mitigating climate change and promoting environmental resilience. (Nov 2024)
CARBON REDUCE CERTIFICATION
Alliance Wine has achieved Carbon Reduce Certification (ISO 14064-1) by measuring and committing to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Led by Marta Rivera, we analysed our Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions and developed a decarbonisation plan. We aim to maintain certification through annual audits and continuous improvement of our carbon management efforts. (Aug 2023).
Sustainability Articles
The following articles offer further insights about sustainability in the wine industry and how many of our producers are working to create a better world of wine:
- How sustainability was key to Alliance’s ‘In Our Nature’ tasting - The Buyer
Aiming to be fully sustainable as a business is all well and good but how do you do it in the wine business exactly? Alliance Wine drew its line in the sand in September 2021 and since then has aligned its business practices with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals from work in the vineyard through to how finished wines are delivered – even picking a ‘no waste’ restaurant in which to hold its ‘In Our Nature’ tasting. Robert Mason was suitably impressed with what he saw at the tasting and picks 10 wines that all have their art in the right place. - Sustainability as a Strategic Tool: Myth or Necessity?
How do we define “strategy”? The success of a sustainable strategy is based on doing several things well – not just a few – and on the combination of all of these activities. In other words, it requires a holistic way of thinking. - Sustainability at Tinedo
We are fundamentally concerned about three aspects: sustainable farm management, moving towards zero-emission production and the fixation of rural population through employment. We are a small winery, and we know how modest our contribution to these objectives is, but we are sincere in our efforts. - Iona's Sustainability Story 2
Respect for the soil and the vines is paramount, and I will continue to employ more hands and use organic and biodynamic products in favour of cheaper hard chemicals. - How to Leverage Wine Tourism for Sustainable Development
How to bring consumers, especially younger ones, into closer contact with our industry is a global challenge that we, as wine professionals, all face. As the perception of wine travel as quality tourism grows, more and more people begin to see it as a valuable asset, not only in terms of its positive economic impact but as a decisive factor in protecting the natural and socio-cultural resources of each specific wine region. - Iona's Sustainability Story
Most farmers secure their workers from surrounding villages and townships, however, due to land tenure rights in South Africa, whereby anyone living on a farm for more than 10 years are entitled to... - The view from Down Under
Sustainability and weather patterns.
The last thing that any grape grower wants to see at this point is a storm front, and certainly not one that contains hail, but that’s what faced many growers in...
Sustainable Winemaking
When seeking out producers and wines for our portfolio, we look for quality above all else. Our list reflects this uncompromising search for the highest quality wherever that is to be found.
It also reflects our support for those who believe there is a better way and strive to bring it about - so we often partner with producers who incorporate sustainable and organic or biodynamic practices into their winemaking and who share our values and commitment to creating a better world of wine.