PRESS KIT CONSEIL INTERPROFESSIONNEL DU VIN DE BORDEAUX
FAC I N G C L I M AT E C H A N G E ADAPTING, INNOVATING AND REDUCING THE CARBON FOOTPRINT
2022
THE DUAL CHALLENGE FACING BORDEAUX WINES: ADAPTING TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND REDUCING THEIR E N V I R O N M E N T A L F O O T P R I N T.
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FACING CLIMATE CHANGE
The quality and quantity of a harvest are intrinsically dependent on the climate and the environment. In Bordeaux, as in other French regions, winegrowers are seeing the effects of climate change. While these effects currently favour
ON THE GROUND FACTS AND FIGURES
the ripening of grapes in Bordeaux, the prospect of seeing the thermometer rise a further 1 or 2 degrees will have a significant impact on wine styles. Bordeaux has many levers for adapting: agricultural
and
winemaking
practices,
adaptation of plant material, etc. Players in the sector are innovating, to continue to produce high-quality, balanced and aromatic wines.
As part of its sustainable development strategy, the sector has been committed for 15 years to preserving the environment while contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Following an initial 2020 Climate Plan, the sector is building a new Carbon Plan for
LEVERS FOR ADAPTATION
CARBON STRATEGY: 2030 OBJECTIVE
2030, jointly produced by all stakeholders, winegrowers, merchants, cooperative cellars and suppliers.
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On the ground:
facts and figures The climate is a major parameter for wine quality. It has an impact on the terroir, the vintage effect and the size of the harvest. Until now, the change in the climate has had quite a positive effect on the ripening of Bordeaux grape varieties. However, uncertainties over the changes still to come have led the vineyard to anticipate and adapt. CLIMATE CHANGE
TODAY IN BORDEAUX
(SOURCE: ADVICLIM)
• +1.5° C between the periods 1956-1986 and 1987-2017
•
The wine-growing climate in Bordeaux
has moved from temperate to
warm
temperate (according to the Huglin classification)
• On average, the number of very hot days (max. temperature >35°C) has increased
by
3.5 days per year over the past 30 years.
• Since 1989: continued presence of hail source: ADVICLIM
showers and increase in their intensity in the spring.
AND TOMORROW Depending on the scenario (more or less optimistic) temperatures could rise by +0.6 to +5.3 degrees by the end of the century.
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In the vineyard: • Shortening of the vine growth cycle: since 1989, all stages of development have been taking place earlier. since 1989
IMPACT ON VINEYARDS AND WINE IN BORDEAUX
Veraison -3 days
2031-2050
2050-2100
-5 to -7 days
-8 to -20 days
compared with 1986-2005 source: ADVICLIM
• Earlier ripening and harvesting (by around twenty days over 30 years). • Increased water stress. • Year-to-year variations in yield. • Ripening takes place in increasingly hot conditions, requiring early-morning harvesting to preserve the aromas. In the wine: • A marked vintage effect. • Higher alcohol content and lower acidity. • Modified aromas.
INCREASED NUMBER OF CLIMATE EVENTS WITH AN IMPACT ON HARVEST SIZE 2013 VINTAGE: Heavy rain and cold during flowering => Harvest reduced by more than 30% below the average. 2017 VINTAGE: Late spring frost (end April) after a very mild winter => Historically small harvest: 3.5 5.46 million hectolitres.+
5.27
5.25
5.77
5.30
5.00
4.90 4.40
2018 VINTAGE: A trying year, with regular hail and
3.84
record-breaking storms => Harvest size within the
3.77
3.50
ten-year average. 2019 VINTAGE: Heatwaves: drought/significant water stress => Harvest size within the ten-year average. 2020 VINTAGE: Unsettled year: hail, frost, floods, summer heatwave => Harvest down 9% vs 2019. 2011
2012
2021 VINTAGE: Widespread late frost in the spring =>
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
HISTORY OF BORDEAUX HARVEST SIZE (MILLION HL)
Harvest down nearly 14% vs 2020.
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Levers for
adaptation
Adaptation through new practices Changing agronomic practices:
• Delaying pruning to delay the growth cycle and limit the impact of spring frosts. • Increasing the height of the trunk to reduce the canopy area and thus limit photosynthesis to moderate the alcohol level. • Limiting leaf removal to protect the grapes from the sun’s rays. • Using grass cover to reduce evapotranspiration.
Acting now for the vineyard of tomorrow
• Adapting the harvest date and picking at dawn.
------------------------------
Protection against climatic hazards Some areas for improvement: • Installation of collective systems to combat hail and frost. • Policy measures to better insure winegrowers and encourage them to take out crop insurance.
• Giving priority to laterripening varieties • Choosing rootstocks that are later and more resistant to water stress • Rethinking plot location to reduce exposure to the sun
• Aid for investments to combat frost and limit its impact (e.g. wind machines, vineyard spraying systems).
• Reducing planting density
• Investment in research and innovation to improve the ability of vines to adapt to climate change.
• Planting new varieties for adaptation - VIFA
Adapting the plant material (grape variety and rootstock)
The choice of plant material is a production commitment lasting several decades. Highly regulated, it results from the examination of many criteria in an evolving context (climate change, reduction of inputs, varietal creation and diversification, market expectations) and with respect for the typical character of the wines. Today, Merlot for example, the emblematic grape variety of Bordeaux (66% of the area for red grape varieties), reaches optimal maturity, making it possible to produce very great wines. But faced with rising temperatures, this early variety could start to fall outside its ideal ripening window.
A catalogue of grape varieties authorised in AOCs To date, for production of AOC wines in Bordeaux, 6* red grape varieties and up to 8** white grape varieties are authorised in the technical specifications. Growers therefore have a catalogue of varieties with different growth cycles and aromatic profiles, and ripening at different times. Similarly, as Bordeaux produces blended wines, professionals can diversify their varietal mix to subtly mitigate the effects of climate change.
*6 red grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Carmenère, Petit Verdot **8 white grape varieties: Sémillon, Sauvignon, Sauvignon Gris, Muscadelle, Colombard, Ugni Blanc, Merlot Blanc, Mauzac
Revival of old grape varieties Bordeaux winegrowers can draw on the diversity of grape varieties, especially those that ripen later. With changes in knowledge and in the climate, some old grape varieties, previously abandoned because they were more difficult to grow, are making their return to the vineyard. The most emblematic of them is Petit Verdot. A late-ripening red grape, it benefits from climate change. In 2000 it was planted on 375 hectares and in 2020 on 1233 hectares, a 117% increase. In the blend, it brings a final tannic touch with liquorice and violet aromas.
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... Levers for adaptation
Innovation through the introduction of new grape varieties: VIFAs
*ISVV Institute of Vine and Wine Sciences
2007 Vitadapt: experimenting with the use of existing plant material Conducted within the ISVV*, Vitadapt aims to study the behaviour and adaptive capacity of the vine in situ, in the face of climate change and in the context of the Bordeaux terroir. A study plot, made up of 52 French and foreign grape varieties, all of the Vitis vinifera species, was planted in Bordeaux in 2007. Goals: • Measure the changes in the quantity of grapes over time. • Study the behaviour of grape varieties in the context of climate change. • Study the possibilities for adaptation and the quality potential of grape varieties that are little known in Bordeaux. • Record and archive observational data for these grape varieties. • Establish a ripening chronology for these grape varieties and quantify their physiological response to drought.
2021 AOC Bordeaux receives approval for the introduction of 6 varieties of interest for adaptation - VIFA Following a request from the Bordeaux wine sector, 6 new red and white grape varieties, resulting from the Vitadapt experiment, have been authorised since spring 2021 in the Bordeaux & Bordeaux Supérieur AOC technical specifications. This development represents the culmination of more than a decade of research carried out by scientists and winegrowers in Bordeaux to face up to the impact of climate change.
2022 Experiments in the AOCs with winegrowers Goal: Take into account the spatial variability of the climate at the appellation scale. Bordeaux winegrowers now have access to an expanded catalogue of varieties with different growth cycles and ripening periods. 2022: first VIFA plantations. This 10-year experiment (renewable once) on the scale of the Bordeaux vineyard will be subject to monitoring, of benefit to the entire community, to manage the change and definitively validate the incorporation of these new grape varieties.
2022 PRESS KIT // CARBON STRATEGY OF
Introduction of new grape varieties: VIFAs
WHICH VARIETIES? • Red and white grape varieties that are not emblematic of other wine regions (e.g. not Syrah, Pinot Noir or Chardonnay). • Varieties already listed in the Official Catalogue of Vine Varieties • Vitis vinifera grape varieties.
The 6 grape varieties selected in Bordeaux were mainly chosen for: • Ability to resist water stress. • Aromas close to existing Bordeaux profiles. • Late ripening. • Resistance to certain diseases.
4 RED VARIETIES Arinarnoa
Developed by INRA in 1956 - The result of a cross between Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon, this variety gives regular production. It has good resistance to botrytis bunch rot. Its ability to adapt to climate change allows for low sugar production and good acidity. It produces well-structured, highly coloured, tannic wines, with complex and persistent aromas.
Castets Origin: South-west France, possibly the Gironde - This historic and
forgotten Bordeaux grape has low sensitivity to botrytis bunch rot, powdery mildew and especially downy mildew, hence its undeniable environmental interest. It produces highly coloured wines for ageing.
Marselan Origin: INRA 1961 - A cross between Cabernet Sauvignon
and Grenache, this late grape variety is less exposed to late frosts and corresponds to classic Bordeaux harvest dates. It is adapted to climate change and has low sensitivity to botrytis bunch rot, powdery mildew and mites. It allows the production of highly coloured, distinctive wines of high quality and suitable for ageing.
Touriga Nacional Origin: Portugal - A very late variety, it is less
2 WHITE
exposed to the risk of spring frost, allows for a later harvest and is adapted to climate change. It has no particular sensitivity to fungal diseases, with the exception of dead arm (excoriose). It produces wines of excellent quality, complex and aromatic, full-bodied and structured, highly coloured, suitable for ageing.
VARIETIES Alvarinho
The pronounced aromatic qualities of this grape make up for the loss of aromas that usually results from climate change. Its adaptability to climatic problems means that it is not very sensitive to botrytis bunch rot. Its moderate sugar potential allows for production of fine, aromatic wines with good acidity.
Liliorila
Like Alvarinho, the pronounced aromatic qualities of this variety make up for the loss of aromas that usually results from climate change. A cross between Baroque and Chardonnay, this grape has low sensitivity to botrytis bunch rot. It gives aromatic, powerful wines with a good bouquet.
HOW THESE GRAPE VARIETIES WILL BE USED • These varieties are listed in the specifications and limited to 5% of the grape varieties grown on properties. • They cannot represent more than 10% of the final blend for each colour. In accordance with labelling legislation, naming these varieties on the product label is not permitted. • The implementation of this approach is subject to a tripartite agreement signed by the INAO, the growers’ union and the producer for a period of 10 years, renewable once.
2022 PRESS KIT // CARBON STRATEGY OF
Carbon strategy
Carbon balance 2030 target 10
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Measuring to act better
The Bordeaux wines carbon balance In 2007, Bordeaux wines committed to reducing their footprint with the support of a 1st carbon balance. 2019 marked a new stage, with the completion of the 3rd carbon balance. The goal is to identify the changes in the main sources of emissions, to define a new action plan to encourage their reduction.
THE SECTOR’S APPROACH MEASURE 2007
2008
2009 2010 2011 2012
PRIORITISE
2013
BUILD
SUPPORT
ANTICIPATE
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
2021 ................ 2030............ 2050
1ST CARBON BALANCE
2ND CARBON BALANCE 2012 =
FOR THE SECTOR IN 2008
770,000 TCO2EQ
587,000 TCO2EQ
OR OF GREENHOUSE GAS (GHG) EMISSIONS
OR OF GHG EMISSIONS vs
840,000 TONNES CO2 EQUIVALENT
3RD CARBON BALANCE 2019 =
-9%
-24%
2012
vs 2008
CREATION OF THE
2020 CLIMATE PLAN FOR BORDEAUX WINES
GOALS:
CREATION OF AN ONLINE CLIMATE PERFORMANCE TOOL AND ACTION SHEETS available to winegrowers and merchants to take action within their structures.
- 20% in total emissions - 20% in energy + 20% in renewable energies - 20% in water
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CARBON PLAN TARGET FOR
2030 -46% vs 2007
CREATION OF A NEW ACTION PLAN
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3rd carbon balance of the Bordeaux wine sector (2019 GHG emissions - ©Carbone 4)
SOURCES OF EMISSIONS IN THE SECTOR ENERGY (FUEL OIL, GAS, ELECTRICITY) • Viticulture • Vinification • Distillation • Growers, cooperative cellars, distilleries, merchants
FREIGHT
INPUT MATERIALS
• Upstream: delivery by suppliers Internal: in the Gironde between players • Downstream: to customers (including export)
• Glass • Cardboard, paper, plastic, metals • Wood: cases, barrels, corks • Crop-protection products, fertilisers • Winemaking products
SERVICES • Miscellaneous services: IT subcontracting, winemaking consulting, etc.
WASTE • Direct production • Packaging at end of life
WASTE WATER
TRAVEL
• Untreated effluent
• Commuting by employees • Professional (car / train / plane)
FIXED ASSETS NON-ENERGY
• Buildings, wineries • Machinery, agricultural machinery • IT
• N2O emissions (fertiliser) • Leaks from cooling systems • Inorganic CO2
587,000 TONNES CO2 EQUIVALENT
2012-2019 CHANGES IN EMISSIONS, BY SOURCE
Energy
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Non-energy Emissions
Freight
Travel
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Input materials
Services
FACING CLIMATE CHANGE
Waste
Waste water Fixed assets
3rd carbon balance
Main sources of emissions
34% INPUT MATERIALS This takes into account indirect emissions related to the manufacture of materials purchased by the sector
Glass
Plastics
Wood
Paper and cardboard
Metals
Winemaking products
Crop-protection products and fertilisers
Miscellaneous
19%
SUPPLIER, INTERNAL AND CUSTOMER FREIGHT
Supplier freight • Inputs • Winemaking products • Packaging • Equipment
• Road freight: 45% of freight component • Air freight: 35% of freight component
Internal freight • Bulk wine • Transport of byproducts to distilleries Downstream freight to customers • Sales in France • Exports
• Sea freight: 20% of freight component
2019 emissions Road transport France
Sea transport
Air transport
Road transport Europe
Road haulage before sea transport
Road haulage before air transport
Road transport world
18% ENERGY
11% FIXED ASSETS
This takes into account indirect emissions related to the construction of buildings and the manufacture of machinery and IT hardware.
By type of energy Wood and Diesel
2019 volume transported
Electricity
IT hardware
Gas Machines and tools
Buildings
108,190 tCO2eq
Farm machinery
Fuel oil
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Winegrowers and merchants have their say
A questionnaire completed by nearly 100 professionals
Many players feel powerless to act on issues such as freight or fuel oil. Many also give priority to environmental certification procedures and reduced use of crop-protection products. The challenge is to find the right balance between low-impact products and an increased number of tractor passes through the vineyard. At the same time, players in the sector are not always fully aware of the commitments made by stakeholders (glassmakers, transporters, sustainable building constructors, etc.).
50% of cooperative cellars and merchants monitor their energy consumption
More than 2/3 of winegrowers have observed an increased number of tractor passes through the vineyards.
More than 2/3 already use lighter bottles. But more than 60% don’t know how much recycled glass is in their bottles.
1/3 of operators have taken action to reduce the impact of freight.
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Multiple expectations within the sector Human support Sharing information and pooling best practice.
Technical support Creation of a structured and collective action plan. Help with communicating and promoting their approaches.
A need for tools Step-by-step methodologies to assess emissions and define individual action plans.
Interprofessional governance and dialogue with stakeholders Working on the carbon strategy using the same model as existing collective approaches (Bordeaux Wine Environmental Management System or Bordeaux Cultivons Demain - the collective CSR approach). Taking charge of sectoral issues that cannot be resolved on an individual scale (e.g. freight, relationship with glassmakers, etc.).
FEBRUARY 2022 - BORDEAUX WINES CARBON DAY: joint workshops to identify priorities for the strategy to 2030, the actions, the means of deployment, etc., in the presence of winegrowers, merchants, cooperative cellars and other stakeholders (local authorities, ADEME*, glassmakers, road and rail transport companies, energy suppliers, etc.). GOAL: TO MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER.
*French Agency for the ecological transition
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2030 Carbon Strategy
Target:
-46%
greenhouse gas emissions vs 2007
5 priority areas
And strengthened dialogue with stakeholders
Glass and packaging
Viticultural practices
Freight
Carbon capture, storage and utilisation
Energy efficiency
Bordeaux wines 2030 Carbon Plan
Priorities, targets and actions Glass and packaging 28% OF THE SECTOR’S EMISSIONS IN 2019
Viticultural practices
fuel oil, machinery, inputs 22% OF THE SECTOR’S EMISSIONS IN 2019
Reduction in bottle
443 g.
503 grams 2007
Reduce the number of passes though the vines by 10%
>
weight
-12%
2019
TARGETS
Continue to work on bottle weight Create an awareness program on the benefits of light bottles to encourage their use. Work with glassmakers to study the possibility of making bottles even lighter.
Promote packaging
eco-designed
Launch an awareness programme to encourage use of eco-designed materials.
Study new distribution methods
Reduce the bottle weight by 10% +10% cullet* in bottles = increase cullet in bottles from 75 to 85% cullet * broken glass from recycling
Test a local pilot scheme with recommendations on reducing the impact of transport.
Freight
TARGETS
Identify, test and deploy alternatives to reduce agricultural fuel oil consumption Set up alternatives to the use of machinery: plant cover, ecopastoralism (use of sheep to maintain plant cover), animal traction, training in environmentally friendly driving.
Reduce purchases of new equipment Pool equipment (e.g. CUMA), raise awareness of maintenance to prolong equipment life.
Reduce inputs Seek out more natural solutions (e.g. sexual confusion, encouraging bats to combat certain pests, development of ecological corridors, agroforestry, etc.). Plant disease-resistant varieties.
19% OF THE SECTOR’S EMISSIONS IN 2019
Prefer committed and certified road hauliers
TARGET
Use transporters committed to climate initiatives or using alternative fuels/vehicles (e.g. bio-fuels from grape pomace in collaboration with local distilleries).
Promote and improve the impact of sea freight while reducing air freight Prefer maritime transporters committed to reducing GHG emissions from ships. Test carbon-free transport solutions (e.g. sailing ships). Identify ways to avoid short lead times that require the use of air freight.
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Increase the fleet of equipment not using fuel oil by 20%
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100% of road transport provided by committed hauliers
Energy efficiency of buildings and processes 4% OF THE SECTOR’S EMISSIONS IN 2019
Production of renewable energies for selfsupply (e.g. solar panels) Technical and financial support programme.
Deployment of energy saving solutions Energy inventories and definition of an action plan to reduce energy consumption (e.g. electricity sub-meters, better insulation of buildings, etc.).
Construction of new low-energy buildings Semi-underground cellars to avoid the use of air conditioning and heating. Prefer natural light and insulating materials with low environmental impact (e.g. straw-bale construction of cellars).
Beyond reduction, capture, storage and utilisation of CO2 Capture and store the carbon naturally present in soils and plants Agroecology: planting trees, flower cover on fallow land and plant cover in the vineyards to sequester carbon.
Capture, storage and utilisation of carbon emitted during fermentation This CO2 from fermentation can be used to produce bicarbonate (nontoxic biodegradable product widely used in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors).
1000 hl of wine and 80% capture = 10 tonnes of CO2
2050
Contribution of the Bordeaux wine sector to carbon neutrality
-74%
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+25% captured
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The women, the men 5300 winegrowers (AOC growers) • Most family businesses (56% individual operators) • Average size of properties: 20 hectares
75% of the Bordeaux
Signature grape varieties (2020 data)
vineyard area has a certified environmental approach in 2021
2014 and 55% in 2016
89% red varieties
v
s 35% in
Cabernet Franc 9%
Autres cépages 3%
Cabernet Sauvignon 22%
Merlot 66%
11% white varieties
300 wine merchants • More than 2/3 of Bordeaux wine sales and in more than 170 countries.
29 cooperative cellars and 3 unions
Production
• 39% of AOC growers • 23% of Bordeaux production
4.7 million hectolitres
77 brokers
The terroirs 108,000 hectares of vines • the largest Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée vineyard • 1/4 of the area of French AOC wines • 3 out of 4 farms in the Gironde have vines.
65 Appellations d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC)
Muscadelle 5%
produced on average, the equivalent of 649 million bottles.
Autres cépages 3%
Sauvignon 46%
2021 vintage: 3.7 million hectolitres Wines of all colours (volumes produced in 2020 in %)
Main families of appellations
Red 85% Rosé 4% Dry white 9% Sweet white 1% Crémant 1%
(% volume produced in 2020)
Médoc Saint-Estèphe
Côtes
15%
Rosés 5 % Graves
3%
12% 13%
Saint-Émilion Pomerol Fronsac
Bordeaux
10%
& Bordeaux
BORDEAUX
Supérieur
Graves Supérieures Crémants
44%
1.5%
Dry whites
9%
DE-GUYENNE
Sweet whites
0.5%
Sémillon 46%
PRESS CONTACTS CIVB FRANCE Sara BRIOT-LESAGE sara.briot-lesage@vins-bordeaux.fr Tel. +33 (0)6 20 84 25 03 INTERNATIONAL Cécile HA cecile.ha@vins-bordeaux.fr Tel. +33 (0)6 48 52 59 09