This advertising content was produced in collaboration with our partners, Domaine Bousquet, Broken Shed, Maison Mirabeau, Noble Oak, and Mount Gay.
Perhaps no other topic is more pressing in the beverage industry than sustainability; after all, wine and spirits are inextricably linked to the land, meaning that the health of the planet is crucial to the health of our industry, our workers, and our consumers. This link also creates an opportunity for wine and spirits brands to be leaders in sustainability practices and create positive change both now and in the future.
But prioritizing sustainability also makes good business sense, as more consumers report that they are seeking out sustainable drinks products when purchasing. For buyers, it’s important to understand and share the values of the brands you’re stocking and selling—and some are leading the way more than others.
For those looking for producers at the forefront of sustainable practices, take notice: These five wine and spirits brands are spearheading environmental and social sustainability efforts around the world.
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Domaine Bousquet
High in the Andean foothills of Mendoza, in the subzone of Gualtallary, Domaine Bousquet is Argentina’s leading producer of certified organic and regenerative wines. It became the first winery to earn Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) status outside of the U.S. in 2022, which requires that producers prioritize soil health, equity for farm workers, and animal welfare.
Domaine Bousquet also became a Certified B Corporation in 2022, recognizing its holistic approach to sustainability. In fact, the winery aims to be carbon neutral by the end of 2023, propelled by its investment in vineyard composting, recruiting composting expert Bruno Follador to guide them. Not only does composting create healthier land, but it can also lead to more stable fermentations and reduced interventions in the winery—a boon to wine quality itself. Though Domaine Bousquet continues to expand its sustainability initiatives, it has been farming organically since it was founded in 1997.
Broken Shed
Sustainability is at the very foundation of New Zealand-based Broken Shed; the brand was developed with the goal of creating a delicious, sustainable vodka. Since its founding, it has become the fastest-growing vodka in the United States. The recipe to Broken Shed’s commercial success is simple: quality vodka made from two local water sources and a whey distillate base, all of which are natural, renewable resources.
Pure spring water from the North Island combines with water naturally filtered through rock from a 15,000-year-old aquifer on the South Island. For the vodka’s distillate, Broken Shed uses whey, which creates a silky, tasty vodka and is a sustainable byproduct of New Zealand’s robust dairy industry. The vodka does not include additives, added sweeteners, preservatives, or GMOs, and the team takes care to use recycled material in its cartons and eliminate excess packaging when possible.
Maison Mirabeau
Maison Mirabeau’s commitment to sustainability stems from the passion of owners Stephen and Jeany Cronk. With a winery located in Notre-Dames des Anges (a subregion of Côtes de Provence), the Mirabeau portfolio has a range of rosé wines and gin that carry elegance and quality. The company’s ESG mission statement sets Mirabeau’s standards for environmental impact, community engagement, and corporate responsibility. Domaine Mirabeau, the brand’s vineyard, is certified organic and farmed regeneratively in order to increase biodiversity, restore microbes in the soil, and reduce carbon.
The practices set forth by Stephen and Jeany have come to fruition; Maison Mirabeau became a Certified B Corporation in 2023. This achievement was received after Mirabeau established the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation in 2021, which works to educate and establish scientific benchmarks to further regenerative farming.
Noble Oak
A mission-driven whiskey founded in 2017, Noble Oak works to revitalize the earth from which it’s produced. Noble Oak is inspired by the oak tree, which is responsible for 70 percent of the whiskey’s flavor and 100 percent of its color. So it makes sense that the distiller would partner with One Tree Planted in its mission to give back to the community. For every bottle sold from their whiskey range—which includes Double Oak Bourbon, Double Oak Rye, and Trinity Reserve—the brand commits to plant one tree.
Recently surpassing its first milestone of planting 1,000,000 trees, Noble Oak continues to expand its planting outreach, looking for communities to enhance throughout the U.S. They have also protected the water quality in Mendocino County, created a more stable urban forest center in Detroit, and thoughtfully planted trees to avoid erosion in the Finger Lakes of New York.
Mount Gay
As a heritage-driven rum from Barbados with a history dating back to 1703, Mount Gay’s commitment to sustainability and transparent practices aims to protect its home island for future generations. The distillery—which makes Mount Gay’s core range of Eclipse, Black Barrel, and XO alongside the annual limited-edition collection, The Master Blender Collection—plans to use 100 percent organic fertilizer by 2023 and use only renewable energy by 2028. Additionally, all of Mount Gay’s estate fields are irrigated with vinasse, a byproduct of the sugarcane distillation process.
By 2030, Mount Gay plans to reduce their carbon footprint by 50 percent per bottle, and in an effort to protect one of their greatest assets, the ocean, they partner with leading conservation company 4ocean to support them in their mission to end the ocean plastic crisis. All of the company’s goals are tracked and progress is shared on their website in an effort to provide full transparency.
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