Wine is good. We want a good future for wine - and the planet. But wine has been described on this pod as, 'the villain in the climate story.' So what gives - and how to turn this around?

One UK wine retailer has sent out a rallying cry - aiming to be carbon neutral by 2024 and net zero across its entire business by 2040.  This retailer wants, ‘to be the most sustainable, ethical and responsible wine retailer in the world.’ 

These are big aims - and they belong to The Wine Society. So Peter, ever wary of greenwashing and over-hype, heads over to their HQ in Stevenage to poke around behind the scenes and ask the hard questions like: how on earth can this be done, what are the key challenges to overcome, how much will it cost, will the wines change as a result, and what even is a 'sustainability scorecard'?

Along the way we talk insetting (as opposed to offsetting), right-weighting, the demonisation of plastic, solar power, heavy bottles and saying goodbye to capsules.

Even forklifts, sweet shops, Mars, bees, alpacas, Elon Musk, leftover wine and lunch get a mention. That, and growing wine in a greenhouse in space...

The world around us is changing - wine included. This glimpse into a potentially brighter future of course comes with the usual side-order of wine, as we recommend some delicious drops from sustainable producers stocked by The Wine Society, including the following:

• Lubanzi Chenin Blanc 2021, Swartland, South Africa (£3.95 per 250 ml can)
• Dog Point Chardonnay 2019, Marlborough, New Zealand (£22.50)
• Tablas Creek Patelin de Tablas 2018, Paso Robles, USA (£20)

All details from this episode, together with photos to help set the scene, are on our website: Show notes for Wine Blast S4 E8 - Selling Net Zero Wine: Pipe Dream or In The Pipeline?

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