Dal Zotto vineyards in the King Valley. Image Wine Victoria
Wine Victoria has announced a series of sustainability workshops being delivered to the Victorian wine industry as part of its growing Victorian wine into the future program with the Department of Agriculture.
Working with the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) the workshops cover two key areas, Sustainable Winegrowers Australia (SWA) certification and towards carbon neutrality in the vineyard and winery.
The first series of workshops are to be held in May and June across five locations and are aimed at supporting Victorian vineyards and wineries seeking sustainability certification (SWA).
Taking an in-depth look at the Australian Wine Industry Standards of Sustainable Practice for vineyards and wineries, participants will be provided with a set of customisable templates and resources to support their preparation for audit and maintenance of the program.
These workshops are valued at $460 per participant and are being offered to up to 100 Victorian grape and wine producers at no cost.
The second series of workshops, also held in May/June 2023 across five locations, are focussed on working towards carbon neutrality in the vineyard and winery.
The full-day workshops will look at climate change projections for each region and the impacts for grape and wine production. They will then discuss the challenges and opportunities for vineyards and wineries to become carbon neutral.
The cost for this workshop is $35 per person, heavily subsidised by the program.
According to SWA’s 2022 Impact report, 78% of Australians want action and consider a brand’s social and environmental actions when making a purchase. Additionally, 54% of global wine drinkers only trust sustainable wine that is officially certified.
Wine Victoria chair Stephanie Duboudin said she understands the importance of striving towards a sustainable future, and that it comes down to the individuals.
“There has been strong growth in the uptake of the Sustainable Winegrowers Australia certification. Wine Victoria is strongly committed to providing the opportunities for our winemakers and growers to gain this important certification to ensure that our members have the skills and accreditations required for a future focused industry” Duboudin said.
“We had an excellent list of participations in our first workshops held in March covering the introduction to SWA certification and carbon calculators. The SWA certification helps businesses formalise their approach and put continuous improvement at the heart of their sustainability journey.”
For a full list of workshops and to register, click here
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