What does sustainability mean for a wine merchant? Britain’s oldest wine and spirits merchant, Berry Brothers and Rudd is in a unique position to use its 300 year history to champion sustainability. This historic advantage includes longstanding relationships with their suppliers, many also family owned, who are themselves tackling sustainability. 

The current Chair, Lizzy Rudd, a third-generation family member has made sustainability a priority with ambitious goals. As outlined in the 2021 sustainability report, they aim for a zero carbon footprint and to be plastic free by 2030. They are weeks away from posting this year’s report, updating on their progress. I talked to Adam Holden, who works with Lizzy putting these sustainability goals into action.

Carbon Footprint 

Berrys has been reporting  on their carbon footprint since 2018, dividing it into three scopes, vehicles and buildings under their direct control, electricity generation and then everything else!

Number one is pretty straightforward, as well as converting their own small fleet of delivery trucks to electric (90% electric by 2025), they are also subcontracting to partners converting to electric. 

Number two is being addressed through investment in solar panels in their Basingstoke premises, which will soon generate more than enough power for their needs there. Electricity for their London premises is sourced via renewable suppliers. 

Number three is where it gets interesting and challenging as it represents the largest part of CO2 emissions. On average 95% is from the supply chain, and within this, glass bottles are the biggest culprit. Glass production counts for 42% of their total carbon footprint. As a fine wine merchant, moving away from glass isn’t going  to happen any time soon. What can be done? 

Clear Cut 

Glass is both reusable and recyclable, but sadly most glass is still not recycled. To get to net zero there needs to be change in the global glass industry. A daunting challenge for one company but R & D news on decarbonisation of the glass industry is encouraging.  Although reusable bottles and bottling in the UK are longer term possibilities, right now Berrys work with their suppliers to use lighter glass with a higher percentage of recycled glass as the quickest way to see improvements. Recycled glass has a dramatically lower carbon footprint than new glass and as shipping contributes to their carbon footprint, bottle weight is important. 

Closure

Berrys want to deliver all their own label wines capsule free.  This saves aluminum and makes bottle recycling easier. With 830k bottles produced pa of their own label wines this starts to make a considerable difference. As of 1st October, they removed capsules on their  Châteauneuf-du-Pape and now on their Rosé de Provence from Château la Mascaronne. 

They use 100% natural cork. Each natural cork stopper has a positive CO2 balance of 288gr, which goes some way to offset the glass. They print this data on their corks, and with no capsule it’s easy for consumers to see. Corks check other sustainability boxes, the cork industry supports local biodiversity, cork forests are UNESCO biodiversity hotspots, they act as fire retardants compared to non-endemic eucalyptus, are less greedy on water and they support the local economy and cultural heritage. Every time you pull a natural cork, you’re helping the environment. They also offer customers a cork recycling scheme at their shops or via their delivery drivers. Just remember to put the empty bottle in the recycle!

Packaging 

Plastic shrink-wrap for palettes currently presents a problem, most replacements unreliable and costly, but trials are underway.

It’s not just wine, their spirits are bottled with 40% recycled glass & recyclable plastic free packaging, wooden stoppers and cellulose capsules. The plastic free philosophy even includes eliminating plastic pens, cups and stationery in the offices.

Bordeaux represents 60-70% of their sales and the region has gone from sustainability zero to hero as wineries act on sustainability. It’s good to know that communication around the sustainability initiatives in Bordeaux is acknowledged through the trade.

Bordeaux has some outstanding performers that I’ve mentioned in previous posts,  Château Smith Haut Lafitte and Château Montrose recuperating CO2 from fermentation (despite questions about what to do with all that bicarbonate of soda) and high profile estates using biodynamics and organics. 

Certification is not an obligation for Berrys, nor a limiting criterion for suppliers. Case by case analysis favours and encourages a regenerative approach to viticulture, a sentiment a lot of producers share as the demands and cost of certifications can be prohibitive for some. Their long and close relationship with suppliers is an opportunity to progress together on carbon footprint as well as other areas of sustainability. 

Less Ordinary 

Bottled by Bordeaux negociant Dourthe, Berry’s Good Ordinary Claret (GOC) has been part of the Berry portfolio since the 1950s and is the single biggest selling wine of the  company. It’s the perfect place to start looking at how they can ‘decarbonise’ supply lines . 

A limited edition of the GOC is bottled every vintage. This year, the label by print maker Tom Frost, combined a wine glass and a tree clearly showing their commitment to sustainability with a nod to agroforestry. It has already sold out. 50% of profits from this edition went to the Woodland Trust to support The Queen’s Green Canopy – Plant a tree for the jubilee. It touches on another part of their sustainability programme, that of philanthropy. 

Own label

Their own label range goes beyond Good Ordinary Claret. They work with leading wine makers most of which have a commitment to the environment, such as Château Climens, Château Angludet and Château Haut Bailly.  

Interestingly this movement to sustainability is currently driven more by suppliers thanby consumers. Long-term working partnerships with properties allows a dialogue, sharing knowledge and a sense of stewardship between family owned businesses. 

Bees and biodiversity in Basingstoke 

Carbon footprint analysis is the easiest but as we‘ve seen in previous posts, it’s far from the full sustainability picture. Monoculture harms biodiversity, hence, their support  for regenerative viticulture. At their own premises in Basingstoke, as well as solar panels, they have created a staff garden including a vegetable garden, part of a locavore move for the in-house catering and for staff. Just as we’ve seen in some Bordeaux vineyards.    

Philanthropy, 

As well as the charity bottling of Good Ordinary Claret, their Kings Ginger belongs to 1% for the planet, they back charity initiatives proposed by staff as well as numerous gifts to and participation in charity events.

They have the stated aim to  be an over-riding force for good, within the industry, helping to build awareness with industry partners and with consumers. As many within wine, they are aware that if action isn’t taken there will be no wine industry in the long term.

Optimism.

Despite the challenges, they remain optimistic about the future, thanks to positive feedback from suppliers and consumers, the research and innovation within the industry and the attention to detail that brings change. Over 300 years of history shows they are sustainable. They are working on remaining so. 

 Please sign up here to receive future blog posts delivered directly to your inbox. 

To learn more about Bordeaux, you can buy Bordeaux Bootcamp here, and to learn more about Wine and Wellness read The Drinking Woman’s Diet here.