Italy was among the first major wine-producing countries to champion the value of organic wines. Now, some Italian winemakers are taking it a step further, promoting a new standard: "sustainable" winemaking, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
Organic wines in Italy follow a series of rules that prohibit the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides in the grape-growing period or the use of genetically modified yeasts during fermentation. The use of sulfites and other additives is also limited.
The new standard, set by a ministerial decree passed earlier this month, adds new requirements that protect the environment, ranging from minimizing the use of gasoline-powered tractors to incentivizing the use of recycled glass and paper, even for packaging and promotional materials. The overall goal is to produce less waste at every step of the production and distribution process.
Winemakers who meet the standard as judged by a soon-to-be-formed independent and accredited entity will be allowed to use a special seal on their labels.
The decree was jointly worked out by the Italian Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture with input from winemakers and environmental groups.