Malaysia Tatler – August 2019

148 malaysia tatler. august 2019

LIFE | WINE

W

iththeterm“eco”increasingly

oneveryone’slips,thewine

industryfindsitselfinatrickyspot.

Ontheonehand,winemakers’

relianceontheenvironmentfor

site-sensitiveproductinclinesthe

industrytoeco-consciousness.

Ontheother,unlessweallcommittodrinkingwinefromour

backyards,we’readdingaheavy,fragileproducttotheworld’s

vastvolumeofinternationalcargo.

Responsiblepracticescostmoneybothinfarming(such

asmanagingvinecanopiestoreducefungicideandpesticide

use)andwinemaking(forexample,allowingwineto

slowlystabiliseinthewineryversuswastefulfiltrationor

indiscriminateadditiveuse),sothesustainability-minded

drinkershouldbepreparedtopayabitmoreperbottle.

Butcommittingtoeco-friendlyimbibingshouldn’tmean

sacrificingonflavour.Mostenvironmentallycommitted

producersclaimtoprizeaboveallcreatingwinesthatreflect

theterroiroftheirenvironment.Andwinemakerswhopay

greatattentiontotheirprocessbutdon’tbelieveinartificially

“shaping”theirwine—whetherwithexcessivenewoakor

technology—shouldproducewinesthatgivethosewhoenjoy

themanauthentic,almostmagicalexperienceofaplacethey

maynevergettosee.

PRACTICALITYBEFOREPHILOSOPHY

Biodynamics/organics/fairtradearelabelsappliedtowines

thatprivilegeanaspectofproductionwhilesometimes

glossingoverothers.Forexample,thebiodynamicand

organic-friendlypesticidecoppersulphatecausesheavymetal

toaccumulateinthesoiland,whenatractorisneededfor

repeatedapplications,createscarbonemissions.“Natural”

producersfixatedon“zerosulphite”statusobligetheir

When environmentalissues are

playing on everyone’s mind,what’s

an eco-friendly oenophile to do?

Wine With

A Conscience

distributors to use energy-intensive temperature-controlled

transport and storage or risk damaging the product.

For a more holistic view, look for respected “sustainable”

certifications. Though some feel these systems are often

watered down, protocols in many areas like California,

New Zealand and South Africa have been widely lauded for

their comprehensiveness.

Also, look for summative metrics like water usage or

carbon emissions per unit, especially those that emphasise

emissions reduction. US giant Jackson Family Wines is

proactive about publishing its emissions figures and has

formed a working group with Spain’s Torres family to

measure emissions and pioneer novel technologies. Family

companies like these and Portugal’s Symington Family

Estates often stand out among larger producers for long-term

thinking, usually encompassing sustainability.

MATCH GRAPES TO CLIMATES

Seek out logical combos of grape and climate. Grapes

from dry origins, like much of Portugal, Spain, Greece and

southern Italy, for example, are much more appropriate for

similarly hot, dry places than many water-sucking French

grapes (ahem, cabernet sauvignon). When drought-resistant

varieties permit irrigation to be avoided or reduced, dry

places are great for sustainable farming.

DRINK LOCAL

Most agree the key metric for environmental impact is not

absolute distance between producer and drinker, but the

mode of transport. Ship freight is more favourable than air

or truck, and sadly most Asian wine moves by the latter two.

Those living close to a wine region, for example Fangshan near

Beijing, Yamanashi near Tokyo or Asoke Valley near Bangkok,

can do their part by supporting their local producers. WORDS: SARAH HELLER, MW; IMAGE: YEALANDS ESTATE WINES, NEW ZEALAND