Choosing Sparkling Wine For Your Sustainable Wedding

According to a recent survey done by Ipsos for the World Economic Forum, 86% of adults said that they want to live in a way that is more sustainable. This includes thinking carefully about the food and drink that they consume and looking at how it is produced. When it comes to planning weddings, after the diamond ring has been chosen and the question asked many people choose Champagne or sparkling wine for their guests to drink and to make a toast in celebration at both the engagement and the wedding day itself. To make sure that your wedding is more sustainable, you can choose local sparkling wines that don’t have a high carbon footprint, and that have been produced in a way that causes minimal harm to the environment.

Delicious local wine

80% of the sparkling wines that are drunk in the UK come from Europe, including of course Prosecco and Champagne. These wines have a carbon footprint of 2kg for every bottle produced and transported to Britain. By the time the wine has been poured into your glass, it is often done some significant airmiles, and this has an impact on the environment. If you are organising an eco-friendly wedding, you may want to source food and drink that is local and sustainable. This will reduce the environmental impact of your big day. There are many wine producers in the UK that are making delicious sparkling wines that can easily rival any bottle of top Champagne. Rather than choosing wine that has been imported, look for sparkling wines that are local to the UK, by producers such as Fox & Fox and Camel Valley.

Cork, not screw top

A recent study done by Ernst & Young found that the carbon footprint of a bottle of wine is significantly less if it is closed with a cork. For still wine, the total carbon footprint is 25% less, and for sparkling wine, it is 50% less than wine that has been closed with a screw cap. Unlike cork, screw caps aren’t biodegradable either, so will end up being put into landfill after the wine has been drunk. All the more reason to choose a local sparkling wine that has been sealed with a cork.

Choose sustainable wine

Sustainable sparkling is made in a way that protects the environment. Growing and harvesting the grapes can be done in a way that doesn’t damage the soil. The production of the wine should also maintain economic feasibility and support social responsibility. There are many ways that sparkling wine producers make wine more sustainable. The grapes are grown with minimal use of harmful pesticides, to not only protect wildlife, but also to stop the waterways being contaminated. Last year the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (SWGB) certification scheme was launched, to give consumers confidence that they are choosing wine that has been produced in a sustainable way. The Stopham Vineyard and Nyetimber, both in Sussex, have an SWGB certificate.

If you are planning a sustainable wedding, then you can choose local, sustainable wine for your big day. The wine is not only delicious, but has a lower carbon footprint, making it better for the environment.