In the final From the Roundtable episode of 2025, I’m joined by SWR’s Toby Webb, Dr Peter Stanbury and Delaney Sheridan to reflect on the year. We review what we set out to achieve, what we've accomplished, and where we're headed in 2026. From sustainability standards and packaging, to sustainable viticulture and labour conditions, find out how SWR is continuing to tackle the tough sustainability challenges while driving innovation and collaboration in the industry.
In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable Member Interview podcast, I’m joined by Luke Tyler, marketing and sales director, and Matthew Deller MW, CEO of Wirra Wirra. Located in South Australia's McLaren Vale, the winery exemplifies what the region is well-known for: premium red wine and a strong commitment to sustainability. Wirra Wirra has a long history of sustainable practices, with current initiatives spanning across waste reduction, decarbonisation, biodiversity, packaging, and a reconciliation action plan. In recent years, lightweighting has been a major focus, and this year the winery introduced a proprietary 410g glass bottle across a significant portion of its production. Matt and Luke share practical insights into the lightweighting process, the importance of partnerships across the value chain, and why they chose to join the Sustainable Wine Roundtable and the Bottle Weight Accord.
In this episode of From the Roundtable, I’m joined by SWR’s Delaney Sheridan and Dr Peter Stanbury to share some updates – and clear up a few misunderstandings – about lightweighting sparkling wine bottles. SWR is developing a new Sparkling Bottle Weight Accord, building on the success of the still wine Bottle Weight Accord (BWA) launched in 2023. We discuss the progress of the BWA so far, what makes sparkling wine more complex, and how we’re working through those challenges. There are many opinions when it comes to bottle weight, and it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. We thought we’d help set the record straight and run through some of the most common claims. Fact or fiction? Have a listen to find out.
In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable Member Interview podcast, I’m joined by Shae Courtney, national quality and sustainability manager for Coles Liquor at Coles Group in Australia. As one of Australia’s largest drinks retailers, Coles Liquor has the capacity to drive change at scale across its supply chain. Packaging is a central focus for the group, with initiatives underway in lightweighting, recycling, waste reduction, consumer engagement and more. We discuss Coles Liquor’s sustainable packaging strategy, the Bottle Weight Accord, approaches to supplier engagement, consumer insights, and more.
In this episode, I’m joined by Jane Masters MW and Andrew Neather to discuss their new book, Rooted in Change: The Stories Behind Sustainable Wine. Published earlier this month, the book explores how sustainability and wine intersect across the entire value chain. From grape to glass, they delve into the environmental, social, and economic challenges, opportunities, and innovations shaping the wine industry today. Through compelling data, storytelling, and interviews with growers and producers around the world, Rooted in Change offers deep insight into how the wine world is evolving and adapting to a changing climate. Jane and Andy share the motivations behind the book, the key lessons they learned along the way, practical advice for listeners, and the importance of maintaining hope and optimism. You can purchase your copy at Académie du Vin Library or Amazon.
I caught up with SWR colleagues Delaney Sheridan and Dr Peter Stanbury to talk about the Sustainable Viticulture Protocol (SVP), a framework designed to help growers demonstrate sustainable practices in the vineyard. The SVP supports the transition from intensive chemical use toward regenerative practices, while accounting for the different conditions across regions. Recently, SWR partnered with Waitrose to host a visit to Leckford Farms for SWR members. From data to financing, Delaney and Peter share the key insights from the day’s discussions and explain how SWR is turning these ideas into practical next steps through the SVP.
In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable Member Interview podcast, I’m joined by Nicolas Daspres, technical director at Terra Vitis, and my colleague Dr Peter Stanbury, SWR’s head of research. Terra Vitis, a French sustainability certification for winegrowers, was recently covered in the SWR’s second round of Standards Benchmarking. This benchmarking process, structured around the Global Reference Framework (GRF) – the first global statement of what sustainability in wine entails – provides a clear way to compare standards and drive alignment on meaningful progress. We explore the process and requirements behind the Terra Vitis certification, including the organisation’s work on labour standards and sustainable packaging. Nicolas shares the benefits of the benchmarking process, the key insights for Terra Vitis, and the actions they are implementing moving forward. We also reflect on some of the broader themes from this second round of benchmarking and discuss what these findings mean for the SWR.
One of the SWR's key action areas is the Sustainable Viticulture Protocol (SVP), a principles-based framework to help with decision-making around chemical use, acknowledging that growing conditions vary considerably across regions. The SVP will be the centre of an on-going change management process away from intensive chemical use in the wine industry, towards a more sustainable, carbon-positive viticultural approach. As part of this work, the SWR undertook a small research programme earlier this year to better understand producers' priorities around chemical inputs and vineyard management. The aim was to explore whether an approach of collaboration and sharing of insights would be applicable to the sustainability of viticulture. My colleague Dr Peter Stanbury, SWR's head of research, joins me on the latest From the Roundtable podcast episode to share the findings and what they mean for the SVP.
SWR's Tobias Webb recently visited Colorado and discovered how a thriving wine region is developing, the sustainability issues they face, and what's next for high desert wine. In the last of three podcasts, he speaks with Cassidee Shull, executive director, Colorado Association for Viticulture & Enology (CAVE). Cassidee shares how the region has developed over the last few decades, the important role of wine tourism, and what sustainable growth looks like for the state.
SWR's Tobias Webb recently visited Colorado and discovered how a thriving wine region is developing, the sustainability issues they face, and what's next for high desert wine. In the second of three podcasts, he speaks with Dr Charlotte Oliver, state viticultural extension specialist at Colorado State University. They discuss the challenges faced by winemakers in the state, how research is helping make vineyards more resilient and sustainable, and what the future of wine in Colorado looks like.
SWR's Tobias Webb recently visited Colorado and discovered how a thriving wine region is developing, the sustainability issues they face, and what's next for high desert wine. In the first of three podcasts, he speaks with Nick Games, owner of Maison La Belle Vie in Palisade, Colorado. Located 1,500m above sea-level, Nick shares the peculiarities of growing grapes at a high altitude, the environmental challenges they face, and how they are adapting to a changing climate.
With more than 40 sustainability certification schemes across the global wine industry, comparing them can be complex and often confusing. To bring clarity, SWR is leading a benchmark of global wine sustainability standards to help buyers, growers, and consumers understand where these standards align and where they differ. Following the successful pilot last year, the second round of benchmarking has now been completed, this time including two non-wine-specific standards: the EU Organic Regulation and Demeter certification. In the latest From the Roundtable podcast episode, Hanna Halmari is joined by SWR colleagues Dr Peter Stanbury, head of research, and Delaney Sheridan, operations manager. They share key insights from this second round, how learnings are being applied, and next steps going forward.
In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable Member Interview podcast, Hanna Halmari is joined by Anna Nardi, director and brand ambassador at Perlage Winery in Veneto, Italy. The family-run business is known for its high-quality Prosecco and for pioneering organic viticulture in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG region. Sustainability and innovation have been at the heart of the winery’s philosophy since its founding in 1985, when the Nardi family made the decision to fully convert to organic farming. Since then, the winery has continued to drive sustainable progress in the region: Perlage was the first producer of organic Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, the first to release a certified biodynamic Prosecco, and the first Italian winery to receive B Corp certification. In this episode, Anna shares the story behind the winery’s evolution, the challenges of being organic in a traditional region, and key learnings from nearly four decades of sustainable innovation.
The wine sustainability landscape is incredibly fragmented, with more than 40 different standards in use globally. How do these standards compare? Where do they align, and how do they differ? The Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) is tackling this complexity head-on through its Standards Benchmarking action area. Each year, SWR will evaluate all wine sustainability standards against the Global Reference Framework and associated scoring matrix, to help bring greater transparency, clarity, and comparability. A pilot benchmarking study was completed in 2024, analyzing six different wine standards, including Fair and Green. In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable Member Interview podcast, I’m joined by Lukas Müller, association and policy officer at Fair and Green, and my colleague Dr. Peter Stanbury, SWR’s head of research. We discuss the importance of benchmarking sustainability standards, the nuances behind the process, and key learnings from the pilot. Lukas shares why Fair and Green volunteered to participate, the benefits they’ve seen from taking part, and what’s next for the certification. Once again, a huge thank you to Fair and Green and the other participants for taking part in the pilot. We've recently concluded the second round of standards benchmarking and will be publishing a full report soon, so do keep an eye out for this.
The glass bottle is often the single largest contributor to a wine's carbon footprint, sometimes accounting for more than half of it. In response, the Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) began researching the lightweighting of still wine bottles a few years ago. This work led to the development of the Bottle Weight Accord (BWA), launched in 2023. Under the Accord, participants commit to reducing the average weight of their 750ml still wine bottles to below 420 grams by the end of 2026. Since its launch, the BWA has gained significant traction. With over 20 global companies now involved, the Accord covers approximately 7.5% of all wine sold. As the initiative continues to make progress, the natural next step is to expand into the sparkling wine sector. The SWR recently published its first progress report, laying the foundation for a Sparkling Bottle Weight Accord. In this podcast, Hanna Halmari and Dr Peter Stanbury, SWR's head of research, discuss the report’s findings, the unique challenges of sparkling wine packaging, and the next steps for a Sparkling Wine Accord.
In this latest From the Roundtable podcast episode, I'm joined by my SWR colleagues Toby Webb, founder and executive director, and Dr Peter Stanbury, head of research. We discuss the story behind the SWR - the how, why, when and where behind the formation of the roundtable. Toby and Peter share insights into the SWR's origins, the progress we've made so far, and our plans for what's next. If you’re interested in joining the SWR or getting involved in any of our action areas, please reach out to delaney@swroundtable.org.
It’s no secret that packaging makes up a significant proportion of wine’s carbon footprint. SWR’s research indicates that roughly half of the carbon impact of wine can be attributed to the glass bottle. Whilst many producers are working on light-weighting bottles (see the SWR Bottle Weight Accord), some are also exploring alternative packaging formats. In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) Member Interview podcast, I speak with Kelsey Kolbo, business development manager - wine & liquor at Petainer, about the opportunities presented by PET packaging. Kelsey shares insights into the environmental and economic benefits of PET wine bottles, from lower carbon emissions to reduced risk of breakage. We discuss the drivers behind the shift to alternative formats, common misconceptions about PET, and more. SWR is developing a Packaging Choice Framework, offering evidence-based insights into the merits and challenges of different packaging formats. If you're interested in learning more or supporting this work, please do get in touch!
How can producers make informed packaging choices that take into account not only environmental impacts, but also financial, practical and consumer considerations? The SWR's Packaging Choice Framework is an upcoming tool that aims to provide evidence-based insights to help guide producers in their packaging decisions. In this latest From the Roundtable podcast episode, SWR's Dr Peter Stanbury, head of research, and Delaney Sheridan, operations manager, join Hanna Halmari to discuss the what, why, how and when of the upcoming framework.
In this Sustainable Wine Roundtable (SWR) Member Interview podcast, Hanna Halmari speaks with Holly Ellis, people and culture manager, and Molly Newport, wine buyer, from Ellis Wines. The wine merchant recently became the first in the UK to power its delivery fleet with sustainable Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) fuel. Holly and Molly share insights into the carbon impact of wine distribution and the practical steps Ellis Wines is taking to reduce its footprint, from lightweight packaging and route optimisation to bulk shipping and fleet electrification. You can read more about Ellis Wine's broader sustainability and social impact commitments here. SWR's Delaney Sheridan also joins the conversation to highlight how the SWR's Packaging Choice Framework and Bottle Miles Calculator projects will support members in cutting emissions. If you're interested in getting involved in either action area, please reach out to Delaney at delaney@swroundtable.org.
SWR's Hanna Halmari recently caught up with colleagues Dr Peter Stanbury, head of research, and Delaney Sheridan, operations manager, for a brief conversation about the Global Reference Framework (GRF). The GRF underpins all of the SWR's action areas, and in this short podcast, Peter and Delaney explain what the GRF actually is, how it was developed, and its importance in the work of the Roundtable. If you’re interested in joining the SWR or getting involved in any of our action areas, please reach out to delaney@swroundtable.org.