– by Harriet Yorke

Beyond the ‘Green’ Label

There is a common theme of reducing subjects of sustainability to quick-hand labels. Renewable energy, green transport, plant-based meals, and, of course, organic/ biodynamic viticulture. These labels are all credible for pinpointing where a scheme or product has made eco-friendly impacts, but, without truly understanding what they encompass, their meanings can feel obscure. For winemakers and consumers, breaking down what these labels actually entail is vital for the future of the industry. Encouraging people to look beyond buzzwords won’t just raise the bar for producers – it will also foster a more informed consumer base, better equipped to understand the real substance behind sustainability claims.

 

What Sustainable Actually Means

One of the most widely adopted definitions of sustainability comes from the 1987 United Nations Brundtland Commission, which claims that sustainability is about

meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

For viticulture, this is practiced through restoring, maintaining, and protecting soil health; reducing or eliminating chemical use; attuning to the natural cycles and patterns of nature (including animals and smaller microbiomes); and innovating long-term resistance solutions to combat current and future associated impacts of the climate crisis. 
Though these are all undoubtedly desirable practices, the reality in application is that they aren’t all always manageable to sustain at one time in order to ‘meet the needs of the present’. With the effects of climate change already having huge impacts on grape yields and harvest seasons, the concept of sustainable viticulture must importantly be viewed upon as a spectrum, not a fixed standard.

 

 

Organic Viticulture: Letting the Vineyard Breathe

Organic farming ties neatly into the realm of sustainable viticulture. It is, at its core, an attempt to let the vineyard behave more like an ecosystem than a factory. Instead of leaning on synthetic herbicides or pesticides, growers work with cover crops, compost, and beneficial insects to keep soils alive and vines balanced. There’s a real focus on negotiating with nature, rather than forcing an attempt to control it. This allows the vineyard to maintain its strength from what is naturally abundant and regenerative, as opposed to treating it with quick-fix solutions that may insight long-term harm. 

The trade-off is real: yields can be tighter and management more demanding, but the result is often a vineyard expressing place with greater clarity and a lot less chemical interference.

 

Beyond Organic: The Biodynamic Approach

Biodynamic farming takes the organic mindset a step further, adding a layer of philosophical and often ritualised practice to vineyard management. Originating from the ideas of Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s, it treats the vineyard as a self-sustaining organism influenced not only by soil, weather, and biodiversity, but also by lunar and cosmic cycles. Preparations made from fermented herbal, mineral, and manure-based compounds are used in extremely small doses to stimulate soil life and plant resilience, alongside standard organic practices such as composting and mechanical weed control. Many biodynamic winemakers view the vineyard itself as the primary project, with wine emerging as a natural – ideally harmonious – by-product of that system. By prioritising ecological balance over output-driven decisions, they often encourage more stable ripening and nuanced flavour development in the grapes, which can ultimately lead to wines with greater complexity and definition.

Whether viewed as science, philosophy, or a blend of both, it has become an influential force in premium viticulture, particularly where expression of terroir is prioritised over maximised production.

Rulebook Vs. Worldview

While organic wines focus on what you don’t use, biodynamic wines are concerned with how the entire ecosystem is approached. The difference can be thought of less as a hard line and more as a kind of rulebook versus worldview dynamic. Organic farming tends to stick pretty closely to a defined set of rules about inputs and exclusions, whereas biodynamics takes those same basics and runs with them into something more philosophical – treating the vineyard as a living system, where minimal intervention is key to an undisrupted balance between soil, vine, and environment.

 

Why Curiosity Drives Sustainability

Farming is only one piece of the sustainability puzzle. From production methods and logistics to packaging and long-term environmental impact, real sustainability is built on informed decisions rather than a single defining factor.

Whether shopping for organic or biodynamic wine, it is important that consumers develop a more nuanced understanding of what these terms mean, rather than relying on them as simple “green” signifiers. Doing so not only leads to more informed purchasing decisions, but also encourages greater accountability from producers whose sustainability claims can otherwise go largely unquestioned behind a convenient buzzword.With that understanding, sustainability becomes less about what’s promised on the label and more about what’s actually delivered behind it.