What comes to mind when you hear the words "winemaking", "vineyard", or "winery"?
Likely some type of pastoral, smoky and quaint ideal - an old house nestled amongst mountains that sits seaside, golden retrievers gallivanting through the vines while old ladies pick berries by hand they lay gently into baskets carried by their side.
In reality, wine has become a commodity and highly commercialized. With that comes machination, increased use of pesticides and a disconnection from the land where vines grow.
Mono culture has been the contemporary answer to meet the increasing demand for access to produce year round. However, this approach comes at a cost - depletion of nutrients in the soil, a lack of biodiversity, and a big carbon footprint.
Wine is a food product - if we are purchasing goods from farmer's markets, sourcing organic, local and seasonal produce - why is that not the case for what we drink too?
Sébastien Hotte, winemaker at Ricco Bambino shared his perspective on this topic recently:
"I do believe that the organic, artisanal, low-intervention lifestyle is not only wine related but should be about the entirety of the products we consume. It’s about making a conscious effort regarding the accountability of producers in various facets of life. One of the reasons I was initially attracted by wine was how more than any other product, it offered a sense of place and time, created conversation and brought people together. Once I started asking myself questions regarding the provenance of these farmed and made products it got me thinking how the narrative of these commodities was slightly altered by conventional practices. It is my opinion that the base of the organic way of living is not only a way of being environmentally responsive but a way of telling a story that is sincere."
Take a moment the next time you're at the liquor store picking out a bottle of wine. At the very least, look for organically farmed grapes. It may seem like a small gesture, but with seemingly small, conscious choices, collectively, we can make the shift towards a more sustainable, prosperous future.
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