Sustainability is one of the most prevalent buzzwords in winemaking. It can be found in countless headlines and hashtags. Claims of sustainable business practice immediately garners consumer interest.
But what does sustainability in wine really look like?
Jackson Family Wines, a family-owned winery and one of the largest holders of premium vineyards in California and Oregon, found that implementing a sustainable approach to winemaking has fueled growth and customer loyalty.
We break down JFW’s sustainability practices, as well as the benefits of these methods.
Land Ownership
The multi-generational family wine company owns wineries and estate vineyards across California, Oregon, Italy, France, Australia, Chile and South Africa. By sourcing grapes from their own vineyards, they are able to control the supply chain and be stewards of the land. Most their acreage is left to grow wild in support of biodiversity on the lands.
Nature’s Protectors
Rather than using pesticides, JFW employs the centuries-old technique of flying falcons and other birds of prey in their vineyards during harvest time to naturally deter swallows and crows from eating the ripening grapes.
Here Comes the Sun
JFW lays claim to the wine industry’s largest solar portfolio, with 6.5 MW of solar PV across eight wineries in California. These systems provide nearly 1,300 homes’ worth of emissions-free annual electricity usage and will offset approximately 35% of JFW’s annual electricity usage.
People First
JFW supports a competitive living wage and benefits for all employees, helping to cultivate an average company tenure of nearly seven years, which for a company with more than 1,600 employees is very impressive. JFW not only invests in their own team, but they have a dedicated focus on supporting more than 50 community-based nonprofits.
Water Works
Recycling isn’t just for bottles and cans anymore. JFW irrigates their vines with recycled process water from their own wineries, ensuring that water resources are repurposed multiple times. Harvesting rainwater and implementing Waterless Tank Sanitation ensures that every drop of water is maximized.
Sustainability Sells
Wine customers were extremely impressed with JFW’s water recycling efforts as they recognize the importance of water conservation in California. In recent years, JFW enjoyed a 25% bump in sales based on in-store signage educating customers about their program. Much of this growth came from new customers who were unfamiliar with the brand.
Customer Loyalty
64% of households purchase sustainable products, up 4% from last year. Nearly half of consumers state that they would change their purchasing habits to reduce their impact on the environment. Millennials are a key demographic in this sales opportunity, as 72% of millennials look for sustainability information when shopping, with more than a third seeing their purchase power as more impactful than voting.*
Eyes on the Prizes
Third-party certification is important to retailers and consumers, as it eliminates the need to verify a winery’s sustainability bona fides. 39% of consumers report that certified sustainable wine is important to them.
*Metrics in this article were obtained from reports by The Hartman Group, Wine Intelligence, and Nielsen.