MEET SOME WINEMAKERS

This one of the best examples of sustainable wine around. Located six miles north of Rye in East Sussex, Oxney Organic Estate has been producing award-winning wines since 2014 and today it is the largest estate producer of organic wines in England. Vines are planted on a southwest-facing slope, maximising sun exposure. An adjoining ancient oak forest provides natural wind protection, creating excellent conditions for growing high-quality grapes. In the winery interventions are kept to a minimum to promote full fruit expression. Owner Kristin says: "There’s an old saying that great wines are made in the vineyard. We couldn’t agree more. We see organic as the best way to produce the quality and purity of fruit required for those wines. The proof is in the bottle."

Sustainability rating: Great! (3*)

Marie-Claude and Jean-Louis's family has farmed this land around the village of Laure in the Languedoc since 1826 and each generation has shown itself committed to preserving the land for future generations. Today the estate is made up of 200 acres of vineyards. Care has been taken over the years to conserve the finest vines of the old varieties while updating the rest of the vineyard. The result is a rich diversity of wines, each of which can be traced back to a specific plot of vines. Great emphasis is placed on achieving optimal grape ripeness and on perfecting the local art of blending. Organic certification was achieved in 2013 and some biodynamic methods are also used.

Sustainability rating: Good (2*)

The Terra Remota winery was founded in 1999, when the Bournazeau Florensa family acquired 15 hectares of land in Girona province, Spain. Chemicals have never been used on this land, and organic accreditation is achieved and/or in progress across the entire range. The estate has evolved to 54 hectares, half of which are used for growing vines. The soils are markedly granitic in nature. Owner and winemaker Marc has displayed a marked sensitivity towards the territory on which his winery stands, and a real coherence in the way it is integrated into the surrounding natural landscape, including using the winery itself to capture rain water for irrigation. The product is a truly phenomal range of organic wines.

Sustainability rating: Good (2*)

The Tutton family bought Waipara West in North Canterbury, New Zealand, in 1989. Althought it was an unsuccessful rabbit-infested sheep farm, they judged that it had a combination of factors making it suitable for the production of high quality grapes. The vines they planted then are now producing the most incredible vintages, year after year, including the multiple award-winning Pinot Noir, which features on the med terraces winelist and in our med collection mixed case. The vineyard has been practising organic viticulture for over a decade and is are certified as sustainable by Sustainable Winemaking New Zealand. The sea freighting from New Zealand to the UK is more efficient than you'd expect, and we offset double the carbon impact of the voyage using VCF Gold Standard off-setting schemes.

Sustainability rating: Up & Coming (1*)

A small family-owned vineyard run by Sylvie and her son Matthieu, Chateau Bessan is a rare example of organic winemaking in the Bordeaux region. The estate was bought by the family in the late 1980's. Many of the wines are lower intervention and the land has been certified organic since 2014. Sylvie focuses on the health of her vines to maximise yields without the use of chemicals and she is working on ways to improve biodiversity beyond just eliminating chemical interventions. Some of the grapes are hand-picked. The result is not only some excellent Bordeaux blends, but also some exceptional Bordeaux Blancs and two crémants made in the traditional style, that give the champagne region a real run for its money.

Sustainability rating: Up & Coming (1*)

Son of a family of farmers from the Val de Loire region, Yannick grew up understanding traditional non-chemical farming methods and he has a strong connection to being outdoors and working the land. He worked for 28 years as a manager at Domaine Laroche - one of the big fine wine houses in Burgandy - and branched out in 2012 to establish his own vineyard. Yannick is serious about sustainability and his approach from the start has been to do everything organically. He wants to produce wine which is the best it can be, produced in the best possible way, leaving a legacy for winemaking and the world. And his Chablis and Petit Chablis wines hit the mark perfectly! The vineyard is certified organic through both the EU scheme and Agriculture Biologique in France.

Sustainability rating: Great (3*)