THE 2026 GOLDEN VINES
SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

The 2026 applications will open soon

THE AWARD

The Sustainability Award recognises and celebrates those wineries who are taking an industry-leading position in promoting and practising sustainable business, in both the vineyard and beyond.

Great wine is inherently the product of exceptional individuals working with outstanding terroir. The fundamental connection between people and place makes fine wine unique amongst alcoholic beverages. By making this connection ever more sustainable, while still producing an exceptional wine, wineries have an unprecedented opportunity to engage with their audiences, sharing their sustainability stories and achievements and in so doing become the ‘sustainable drink of choice.

THE CRITERIA

Applications are open to any estate producing exceptional wine, from its own vineyards within recognised quality regions. These commitments were ideally to be part of a long-term strategy, but as an annual Award, particular focus will given by the Judges to activities within the last 12 months.

The Judges will examine each application in accordance with the following detailed criteria:

  • 1) Environmental Impact of Vineyard & Winery Operations (30 points)

    Each sub-criterion scored 0–10. Average x 3 = pillar score (max 30).

    1.1 Resource efficiency (water, energy, inputs)
    - 0 = no tracking
    - 5 = partial measurement and small reductions
    - 10 = audited reductions with targets achieved
    Evidence required: water use per hectare or bottle, kWh per bottle, chemical input reduction %

    1.2 Waste & circularity
    - 0 = landfill dominant
    - 5 = basic recycling/composting
    - 10 = closed-loop or near-zero waste system
    Evidence: % recycled/reused, pomace reuse, packaging reduction, certified waste diversion rate

    1.3 Biodiversity & farming practices
    - 0 = conventional monoculture
    - 5 = organic or partial biodiversity initiatives
    - 10 = regenerative system with measurable biodiversity gain
    Evidence: certified organic/biodynamic/regenerative, cover crops, soil organic matter %, species counts, hedgerows, pollinators

  • 2) Social Responsibility & Community Impact (20 points)

    Each scored 0–10. Average x 2 = pillar score (max 20).

    2.1 Workforce standards
    - 0 = legal minimum only
    - 5 = fair wages and basic training
    - 10 = documented best practice
    Evidence: living wage, permanent contracts, safety metrics, training hours per employee, staff retention rate

    2.2 Community & diversity initiatives
    - 0 = no engagement
    - 5 = occasional support
    - 10 = structured, ongoing, measurable programmes
    Evidence: local employment %, education schemes, diversity targets, scholarships, supplier inclusion, verified impact data

  • 3) Carbon Footprint & Climate Strategy (30 points)

    Each scored 0–10. Average x 3 = pillar score (max 30).

    3.1 Measurement & transparency
    - 0 = no carbon accounting
    - 5 = partial Scope 1–2
    - 10 = full Scope 1–3 with third-party verification
    Evidence: annual carbon report, recognised methodology (GHG Protocol), external audit

    3.2 Emissions reduction performance
    - 0 = no reduction
    - 5 = small improvements
    - 10 = significant reductions with science-based targets
    Evidence: % reduction per bottle/year, renewable energy %, lightweight glass, logistics optimisation

    3.3 Supply chain action
    - 0 = none
    - 5 = supplier guidelines
    - 10 = enforced standards and measurable impact
    Evidence: supplier requirements, shipping modes, local sourcing %, bulk freight, packaging redesign

  • 4) Innovation & Long-Term Investment (20 points)

    Each scored 0–10. Average x 2 = pillar score (max 20).

    4.1 Innovation quality
    - 0 = incremental
    - 5 = useful improvements
    - 10 = industry-leading or replicable innovation
    Evidence: new technology, regenerative pilots, water capture systems, alternative packaging, research partnerships

    4.2 Commitment & longevity
    - 0 = short-term projects
    - 5 = 2–3 year plan
    - 10 = multi-year investment with clear KPIs
    Evidence: capital expenditure, roadmap, public targets, board oversight, budget allocation

  • Scoring Summary

    Pillar: Environmental Operations

    Max Points - 30

    Pillar: Social Responsibility

    Max Points - 20

    Pillar: Carbon & Climate

    Max Points - 30

    Pillar: Innovation & Investment

    Max Points - 20

    Total

    100


The Judges

The 2024 Winner

Felton Road

The Felton Road winery was bought by Nigel Greening, a self-described Pinot Noir “addict” from England, in 2000 and has been farmed organically & biodynamically since then. Winemaker Blair Walter’s experience in Oregon and Burgundy has stood him in good stead for coaxing the best out of the property’s vines, where he adopts a ‘hands off’ approach in the unique three-level winery built into the hillside. They embrace biodynamic practices, producing wines of elegance, complexity and exceptional depth of fruit.

Staying true to the company’s ethos that a successful business should take a holistic view of the entire community, one percent of turnover goes towards causes and projects that advocate for wider social responsibility. They put people ahead of profits and, in an effort to preserve the environment, have committed to a zero growth policy since 2000, producing at 100% of their limit since 2006.

Their organic and biodynamic philosophy helps create a more sustainable vineyard and winery, through a greater understanding of the interactions between the soils, microorganisms, plants and animals. The result is a healthy and balanced ecosystem, with land set aside specifically for composting using only indigenous materials to preserve the terroir, and grazing animals to maintain the land around the vineyard. They’ve also made huge efforts to introduce low impact practices, like solar panels, electric cars and recycling of lees and glass to minimise waste, with no excessive packaging.

The results are ecologically responsible wines that taste incredible and singularly embody both the place and the people who make them.

The 2023 Winner

Emidio Pepe

True leaders in the field of sustainable winemaking, Emidio Pepe is a family winery established in 1964 and from day one was run with an unwavering commitment to making fine wine whilst preserving nature and respecting traditional farming and winemaking practises; this was at a time when sustainability was unheard of, and the world was rapidly evolving toward the use of herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers to help boost yields and manage quality. As a result, Emidio Pepe has always produced wines of distinction, that truly reflect their unique terroir and have an amazing capacity to age. The winery remains family owned, and the new generations continue to embrace modernity and are employing precision agriculture alongside traditional practices that, due to the vision of their founder, are proving as relevant today as they have ever been. Their submission for the award demonstrated that sustainability is a fundamental part of their DNA. Their achievements also highlight that even the smallest of wineries can compete with larger corporations when it comes to making great wine whilst respecting nature and the community, and in so doing, have an enviable track record of success over a long period of time.

The 2022 Winner

Louis Roederer

The go-to Champagne of kings, this famed house uses organic practices in all its vineyards, of which 115 hectares are certified organic with the remainder of the estate being in conversion. Committed to biodynamic practices and inspired by the concepts of permaculture, the team pioneered research into sustainable farming and climate change since 2000 with the results greatly changing the way one of the most sought-after Champagnes is crafted.

Champagne Louis Roederer was established in 1776 and is now run by the seventh generation of the family, Frédéric Rouzaud. Vineyard holdings of over 240 hectares (exclusively in Grand and Premier Cru villages) make the house self-sufficient for around 70 per cent of their non-vintage production and 100 per cent of their vintage champagnes.

Roederer’s range includes eight wines of which the most famous, of course, are the iconic Cristal and Cristal Rosé. Cristal was the first prestige cuvée, created by a commission from Tsar Alexander II of Russia in 1876. The distinctive wrapper is there to protect the wine from ultraviolet light. Cristal Rosé was created in 1974.