1.
Presents
The Future of Wine Forum
How sustainability will transform the industry
A focused one-day business conference for winemakers, retailers, distributors and the wine value chain.
Our objective is prioritising debates and discussions, clarifying some of the confusion around what
sustainability means and how you put it into practice in the wine industry.
4th
November 2019
The Conduit Club, Mayfair, London
Some highlights of the agenda include:
- Is sustainability a threat or an opportunity for the wine industry?
With tight margins outside super premium brands, we’ll debate whether risks can truly become
opportunities
- Pesticides: Are we seeing the end of chemicals in the vineyard?
A frank discussion about whether this is practical, and even desirable
- How can inexpensive/mass produced wines be made in a sustainable way?
Bigger players in wine are all keen to show their sustainability credentials. We will debate which
approaches are credible at scale
- How will climate change impact the wine industry by 2030?
Weather volatility is a factor today. We’ll discuss what the models suggest the climate will look like
in key regions by 2030, and what winemakers and others can do to mitigate impacts
- Certification – Helping drive up standards or just getting in the way?
Winemakers are split on certification. Some love it, some hate it. This session will dig into its real
value, and discuss whether there are just too many schemes out there, and how that can change
- Ingredient labelling for wine. How will it work, and when is it coming?
At least one leading MW argues that ‘radical transparency’ may not be that helpful. This session will
debate exactly what’s set to happen on ingredient and method disclosure in wine.
- Can smaller producers afford sustainability, whatever that means?
Can you go ‘chemical’ free in a wine business selling at 10 euros a bottle? It may be too risky for
many, given their margins. Here we shall debate what sustainable looks like when cost is a key
factor

2.
- The role of retail: How can big wine buyers support sustainability programmes up the chain?
Supermarkets are already influencing different parts of the wine industry, including production, in a
positive way. We will discuss the views of some leading buyers and dive into their programmes
- Does biodynamics et. al., help your wine sell, taste, and age better?
Biodynamics may have a new competitor in regenerative agriculture approaches from big wine
brands. Do these different approaches actually improve wine and offer a climate ‘hedge’? Are
organic approaches better or worse for the environment? We will discuss.
- Tackling topsoil degradation: Why it matters and what to do about it
Topsoil is of huge concern for global agriculture. Carbon content is a third of what it could be, and
degradation is a massive risk. But there are ways of retaining and building good soil. This session
looks at what works, what it costs and the impact it has on winemaking and vineyard health
- Bottle weight: Is it possible to get a standardised approach that cuts costs and CO2?
Standardisation of bottle weight might be a pipe dream at this stage, but cutting excess weight
saves money and has a positive CO2 impact. We will look at the initiatives and business drivers and
how it can be done without compromising customer perception and product integrity
- Irrigation and water management: How producers can make smarter choices
At least one major Rioja producer says they are more worried about water resilience than climate
change right now. For water-stressed regions use, reduction and basic availability are key issues. In
this session we will cover how leading producers are able to cut use, and still make great wine
- Young consumers and the role of sustainability: What will it take to stay relevant and desirable?
Producers and wine brands in places such as Bordeaux are concerned about future demand. What
do younger consumers, Gen X’ers and Millenials (just coming into spending power) want from wine
brands? Will sustainability be as significant as terroir, history and even the year, in future? Our
group of experts will debate.
Confirmed speakers already include:
Richard Bampfield, MW, Independent Consultant
Anna Chilton, Head of Sustainability, Linton Park Wines (Camellia plc)
Tamlyn Currin, Assistant Editor, JancisRobinson.com
Peter Lacy, Senior MD, UK & Ireland, Accenture Strategy, author of “Waste to Wealth”
David Harvey, London Director, Raeburn Fine Wines
(Many more to be confirmed soon)
This conference will be PowerPoint free.
Researched and organised by Sustainable Wine Ltd, a UK start-up focused on the business of sustainable wine and
publisher of www.sustainablewineblog.com
For speaking and attending please contact organisers
Agatha Pereira Agatha@sustainablewine.co.uk or Tobias Webb on Tobias@sustainablewine.co.uk
or call Agatha on +44 7908 803773