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Sustainable winegrowing

May 17, 2011

Chile has become a major exporter of wine and continues to scale up production. Winegrowers in the country are switching to more eco-friendly production methods to save energy.

Boy reaching for grapes inside a harvest container
Image: Julia Henrichmann

Project Goal: Sustainable and low-cost wine production
Project Scale: Two vineyards with a total surface area of around 4,000 hectares, producing 50 million liters of wine per season
Employment Figures: 500 employees plus an additional 300 during harvest season
CO2 Savings: Approximately 15 percent

The world's best-known wines tend to come from France, Italy and Spain. But there's growing competition from South Africa and Chile, which has become the fifth-largest wine exporter in the world and continues to expand production. But until recently, Chile's winegrowers ignored environmental concerns. Two vineyards are now pioneering more sustainable winegrowing and have partnered with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to install solar units, replace their old diesel motors and modernize their irrigation systems. The fruits of their labor during the harvest season are proof that the switch is worth it.

A film by Julia Henrichmann

Energy efficient vineyards in Chile

06:51

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