It’s drc’s Events Week! We’re featuring fun & informative events coming up in early 2024.
Learn more about Revino's new business launching soon to create a system for reusable glass wine bottles in Oregon (and further!). Sign up & learn more here!
Newberg Revino Town Hall
When: January 8th, 1-2pm
Lowering wine’s carbon footprint starts with the bottle by Samantha Maxwell of Salon
This article explores the disconnect between sustainability in wine and the unsustainable packaging it's bottled in and the distance it travels to your door. As seen on Revino's blog.
Founded in 2021 by Adam Rack and Keenan O’Hern, Revino aims to reduce the carbon footprint of wine by offering refillable bottles. The company will collect, wash, and redistribute their proprietary bottle that is designed to last up to 50 fills. Starting in Oregon and using the Oregon BottleDrop collection sites to streamline the process for the wine consumers, their aim is national.
Bottle design by Revino; Image copyright Revino; Used with permission.
The company notes in their press release that over 16 billion glass bottles and containers are used annually, but less than 30% are recycled. The average glass wine bottle takes 1.28 kg of CO2 to produce and dispose of and is most often sourced internationally. Alternatives like cans, Tetra Paks, and bag in box do not offer the cellaring capabilities or unique presentation of a 750ml glass bottle. Recycling itself is not without carbon impacts: it takes significant amounts of energy to melt the glass down so it can be reshaped into a new product.
By offering reusable containers with an efficient distribution and collection network, the carbon impacts are significantly reduced. Revino states that it will take only three cycles for their bottles to “break even on carbon emissions.”
Bottles are launching in the spring of 2024, though interested wineries can sign up for the program now on their website. Interested end consumers can check out the list of participating wineries here and keep an eye out on shelves for bottles stamped “REFILLABLE.” The initial phase is intended for sales and consumption within Oregon, so out of state consumers wishing to participate are encouraged to talk with the winery regarding returning empty bottles.
*Please note, this post was not sponsored and is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as an endorsement.
Sustainable September: Keep up to date with the latest news about dry farming, water and sustainable agriculture.
Brooks Wine Named #28 of the World’s Best Vineyards
One of our members in the news!
Dry farm researchers’ new mapping project will give Oregon growers a resource by Brian Bull for KLCC/NPR
Read about the new dry farm mapping project helmed by Lucas Nebert of OSU and the Dry Farming Institute.
The next pandemic could strike crops, not people by Saima Sidik for Grist
Learn how our modern commodity farming could be devastated by the next pandemic.
These five cities could be one natural disaster away from a catastrophic water crisis by Rachel Ramirez and Eric Levenson of CNN
The drinking water crisis in the USA explored.
When Drought Gripped Minnesota in 2021, Farmers Increased Water Usage by Dionne Searcey and Mira Rojanasakul of the NYT
This article explores how irrigation was overused in response to the 2021 drought in Minnesota, threatening local drinking water supplies, and how this crisis is likely to be repeated.
That’s right, drc is announcing a new push to encourage sustainability with our first annual Sustainability September. We’ll be featuring wineries and wine- and farming-related organizations and businesses that are revolutionizing sustainability.
Portland Wine Co.'s Electric Forklift and a stack of pallets
Want to learn about sustainable agriculture? Download the free guide by SARE here. The guide discusses climate resilience, soil heath, and community vitality.
Founded in 1988, SARE is a national grassroots organization emphasizing sustainable agriculture through grants, education, and outreach to farmers.
Grape pomace and amphorae at Beckham Estate
Start your Monday off with some fresh off the press news!
People who eat more sustainably have 25 per cent lower risk of death – new research by Noa Leach of the BBC Science Focus
Eat Sustainably to sustain life!
When in Drought, Plan It Out: Rain Harvesting by Stephanie Kasper, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Program Manager, writing for ATTRA
Learn about collecting, storing and using rain water on your farm to help mitigate drought conditions.
Does an electric tractor have a place on your farm? by Holly Spangler of the PrairieFarmer
Learn about electric tractors and how they can help reduce your carbon footprint.
To save water, start with irrigating less by Tory Moore of UF/IFAS
Dry farming starts at home.
LIVE is a non-profit that certifies winegrowing in the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1997, the organization currently boasts over 300 certified vineyards, wineries, and tasting rooms in 2023. Benchmark requirements include sustainability measures, workers rights and social justice, and long-term climate goals such as pesticide reduction. Deep Roots Members that are LIVE certified at the winery and/or tasting room include Apolloni Vineyards, Ayres Vineyard, Carabella Vineyard, and Illahe Vineyard. The number of vineyards our members source from are too many to list in our blog, though you can view the full list of certified members here.
One of the many services LIVE offers are free online educational videos, including the most recent on sourcing sustainable flowers for industry events and tasting rooms titled "Sustainable Floristry in the Wine Industry with Lynsea Coy of Coy & Co. Curatorial Floral." Coy offers detailed information on the floral import trade, sources of plastics and petroleum, and the nebulous regulation in the floristry industry. The information can help you make a thoughtful choice for your business. View the video and others here!
LIVE recently held their annual meeting, which included talks by Jancis Robinson. You can view highlights here.
Looking to explore the wider world of sustainable drinks? Don't miss recent sustainably-minded developments in the whiskey world. Forbes explores a biodynamic Irish whiskey and the regenerative farming practices by Maker's Mark in this fun & informative article. Read it here!
Want to look a little closer to home? Read 303 Magazine's profile on Dry Land Distillery. Though the name is not in reference to non-irrigation, the distillery does work exclusively with Colorado-sourced indigenous or heirloom ingredients. Read about them here!
Watch SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education)’s collaboration with PBS and America’s Heartland as they interview and explore four farming operations’ work with sustainable agriculture. Topics covered include soil health through cover crops and grazing, diversification, and marketing. You can check out the video here.
Founded in 1988, SARE is a national grassroots organization emphasizing sustainable agriculture through grants, education, and outreach to farmers.
