SUSTAINABLE WINE PRODUCTION & MARKETING: EVIDENCES & INITATIVES

Abstract

Sustainability has become the corner stone of any present day development activity or policy. Sustainability practices and policies has precipitated  into every sector of production and consumption globally across most industries. This paper presents a classification of sustainability practices specific to the wine industry in line with the United Nations Sustainability goals of  ‘sustainable consumption and production patterns (SDG 12)’ (United Nations Sustainable Development, n.d.).

Wine! a drink considered to be a gift from the Gods in some cultures, is one of the oldest known beverages to human kind. This humble fermented juice of grapes has stood the test of time and has changed little since it’s discovery around 8000 years ago (Marthiano et al, 2019) . Though the drink has not changed much , the way it is produced, marketed and consumed has definitely changed and  evolved  for good or bad over the years. The vine and wine making process is witnessing a 360 degree change in its production and consumption pattern. Initiatives  by responsible wine makers as well as policies and pressure from consumers has encouraged wine makers and marketers to be more responsible towards the way vines and wine are  farmed, produced, marketed and consumed.

 Traditional farming as well as wine making techniques along with modern day knowledge and technology is not only making viticulture and wine making more refined but also more sustainable. The packaging and marketing of wine has also witnessed an increase in responsible and sustainable practices.This research presents a systematic literature review of papers, reports and marketing campaigns on the sustainable practices of the wine industry from farm to  glass. The research then focuses on the state of sustainable  initiatives and practices adopted and followed in the Indian wine industry and market.

According to the United Nations (1987), “ sustainable development is development that meets the need of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.  According to Baiano (2021), the concept of ‘ sustainability’ is unclear when applied to grape and wine products. Baiano (2021) discusses the role of the Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) and the International Federation of Wine and Spirits (FIVS) in defining ‘sustainability’ with respect to the wine industry.

Baiano in his papers states that there has been a significant amount of  research in the area of sustainability across the various aspects of the wine industry , especially in the last five years! Baiano states  that a search for ‘ sustainable wine’ in Scopus and WoS ( World of Science) resulted in 979 and 763 documents.

The Indian wine industry and wine market is still young but growing. As per India -Briefing (2021) India’s modern rendezvous with wine began in 1984 with the setting up of the Champagne Indage plant; however, only recently has the culture around wine consumption changed, increasing multifold from a mere one million liters per annum in 2001 to over 30 million liters per annum in 2019. The Indian wine industry saw a CAGR of 14 percent between 2010 to 2017, making it the fastest growing alcoholic beverage in India.

Being a relatively new entrant in wine world . Indian wine makers and marketers have the advantage of learning and adopting the best sustainable methods and practices from across the world. The main objective of this paper is to understand the best practices from across the world with respect to polices, farming, production, marketing and consumption of wine and then comparing them with the practices followed in the Indian wine industry and market. The findings should help the stakeholders in the Indian wine industry to adopted tested and successful practices being followed the world over.