Yes, this is all concerning news for wine lovers. But there is actually a lot to be hopeful about as wine producers adapt and even thrive. We’re already seeing an increase in natural, organic and biodynamic wines. By 2025 the global organic wine market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of around 12 per cent and surpass $15 billion in value. You don’t need to be an economist to spot the trend. Anyone who has been to a cool wine bar or bottle shop lately would have witnessed the unstoppable rise of pet nat (champagne’s cooler cousin).  

Pet nat is short for the French pétillant naturel – meaning “naturally sparkling”. It is often produced by organic winemakers using traditional methods: bottling during initial fermentation and using the sugars from the grapes to provide the bubbles. One pet nat we’re particularly fond of is from South Australian brand Delinquente, which is a great example of aligning taste and climate values. In a region built on a reputation for bulk wine production and conventional farming, they have taken a long-term, environmentally friendly approach. They use organically grown southern Italian grape varieties that need less water and are suited to warmer climates and soil.   

It’s worth pausing for a second to clarify what we mean by “organic”. Organic indicates that no artificial chemical fertilisers or pesticides have been used during production. With no synthetics, organic farming helps improve soil structure, retain moisture and sequester carbon (like a vacuum sucking in excess emissions). 

Biodynamic vineyards take things one step further – they’re about nurturing the soil and treating the vineyard as one big living organism. Domaine Anderson, located in California’s Anderson valley, makes some of the finest Burgundy-inspired pinot noir and chardonnay in the country by following strict biodynamic principles. The vineyard integrates crops and livestock into its farming lifestyle, uses recycled nutrients and follows the lunar phases to guide the timing of pruning and harvesting.   

Of course, no matter how the wine is made production will always create waste. Grape marc (the solid remains of grapes after pressing for juice) is the biggest food loss stream in Australian horticulture. Mechanical engineering academic Dr Heena Panchasara is working on a large-scale solution to this by exploring how wine waste can be turned into biofuel. The hope is to use the seeds, stems and skins to help power a cleaner future, potentially even creating circular fuel solutions for wineries to power their machinery without the carbon impact of petrol vehicles. 

Though biofuel provides a hopeful taste of what’s to come, wineries are already starting to decrease their emissions in other ways. Award-winning coastal vineyard Yealands Wine Group, located in the Awatere Valley, is the first winery in New Zealand to be certified carbon zero from inception – with the whole estate run on sun and wind power. Yealands is home to one of the largest solar power installations in New Zealand and has even introduced electric vehicle charging stations for staff and visitors. 

With countless wineries calculating their impact and putting the environment first, you no longer have to choose between your taste and the planet at your next intimate Sunday dinner. Here are some of our favourite wines that nature will appreciate as much as you.