Prue and Stephen Henschke. Image courtesy Henschke

International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) has announced that Australian wine business Henschke has achieved Gold Member status by completing its GHG calculation across Scopes 1-3.

The IWCA said Henschke’s climate conscious efforts, which include ensuring that winemaking operations are powered by at least 20% of renewable energy on site and consistently reducing its emissions per litre of wine, position it amongst the first in the Australian wine sector to gain this recognition.

Fifth-generation winemaker and owner Stephen Henschke said he was thrilled to receive recognition for the efforts of the Henschke family and team.

“Prue and I recognised that the changing weather patterns experienced through the 1990s were a threat to our ability to continually improve wine quality,” he said.

“With our focus on crafting captivating single-vineyard wines from pre-phylloxera vines, we knew we needed to care greatly for these old vines, and the land they grow in. Preserving precious natural resources, water and soil fertility, has been Prue’s unwavering focus for the past four decades. It has led to extensive work to improve biodiversity and soil health, as well as to gain certification for these sustainable practices.”

Chief viticulturist and owner, Prue, Stephen’s wife, said that completing the GHG inventory with IWCA has been “another important step” in Henschke’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact.

“With the sixth generation joining us in the business, we’ve embraced the opportunity to be among the pacemakers in the community. This has strengthened our commitment to adopting less-polluting forms of energy with our solar microgrid and to putting downward pressure on our emissions footprint.

“As caretakers of some of the oldest vines in the world, we want to tread as lightly as possible on our land; land that has been nurtured by six generations of Henschke and is our past, our present our future.

President and co-founder of IWCA, Katie Jackson, said the organisation was “delighted” to see Henschke achieve the gold membership.

“As vine growers, we are severely suffering from the consequences of climate change, our duty to future generations is to act now,” said Jackson. “We hope that many more wineries, inside and outside our country, join our cause to accelerate the decarbonisation of the wine industry.”

The IWCA Annual Report is published each November, showcasing members’ individual efforts in their journey to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, providing a snapshot of how wineries are adopting innovative practices in the face of climate change.

IWCA said it actively invites wineries interested in its mission to get in contact. The organisation is open to any wine company involved in the production process from winegrowing to bottling that believes in taking strategic action to accelerate innovative climate solutions.

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