Eco-Sustainable Wines: the V.I.V.A. project is born

Territory, air, vineyard, water: these are the parameters for sustainable viticulture.

Consumer attention toward environmental sustainability is growing, and so a few years ago the V.I.V.A. initiative was launched, a national project started by the Ministry of the Environment in collaboration with research centers and specialized universities that together evaluate products and help reduce environmental impact in order to obtain a sustainable wine certification.

Objectives?
To improve the eco-sustainability of the Italian wine sector, to make consumers aware of the environmental impact of the wine they buy and consume, and to encourage the competitiveness of Italian companies, making wine an ambassador to the world of sustainable development made in Italy.
The aim is to guide companies toward an environmental impact certification by analyzing the entire supply chain, from the production of raw materials – grapes, cork stoppers, glass bottles, label paper – through to winemaking, bottling, transport, and retail distribution.
The analysis takes into account the use of environmental resources such as water, land, and energy, as well as the negative impact of what the supply chain produces: waste, CO2, pesticide and fertilizer residues, and potentially toxic substances.

Results?
Recognition by the relevant bodies toward companies through the acquisition of the V.I.V.A. label, based on four fundamental criteria: territory, air, vineyard, water. For each of these, a technical specification has been drawn up that defines the monitoring methodologies and control systems that wine companies must adopt to maintain qualitatively acceptable levels. Only companies that comply with the values established by the technical specification for each parameter can, after appropriate verification, display the V.I.V.A. label.

Let us briefly analyze the four indicators and the parameters on which they are based:
The air indicator measures the total carbon emissions – all greenhouse gases associated with the life cycle of a bottle of wine. This analysis is naturally conducted across the entire supply chain, from grape growing through to bottle disposal.
The water indicator measures the total liters of water used both in the vineyard and in the winery, required for the production of one bottle of wine.
The territory indicator evaluates the impact of company activities on biodiversity, from the perspective of landscape preservation and enhancement, in terms of social and economic consequences.
The vineyard indicator evaluates the effects of agrochemicals on the environment and the influence of soil management techniques on soil fertility.

Do you think this is truly the right path, or is it yet another marketing operation?