Dr. Laura Catena of Catena Wines

Being an environmental pioneer, you would think it’s easy to commit to international wine sustainability accords, isn’t that so? That’s not the case, says Dr. Laura Catena, a fourth-generation winegrower at Argentina’s Catena Wines. While the idea behind these agreements may appear straightforward, implementing them often involves challenges, ranging from technical issues to low uptake by consumers. Moreover, many international accords, though achievable — with some effort — for European and American wineries, can struggle when applied in developing nations like Argentina.

In a recent discussion, Dr. Catena highlighted the considerable obstacles that the wine industry confronts in bringing about lasting and quantifiable change in the area of environmental sustainability. Dr. Catena, who is also a doctor, author, and the founder of the Catena Institute of Wine, has made substantial progress in this field at her family’s winery, reducing the weight of bottles by 40% across the whole range since 2010. The company has just introduced a 380 gram bottle for its popular on-site wine in the U.S., Catena Appellation Malbec, lowering its weight from 700 grams per bottle (for reference, ultra-premium wine bottles range from 550 to 1,200 grams when empty).

Dr. Catena has also brought in an innovation with the Bodegas de Argentina Sustainability Code, which is based on Catena Wines’ own in-house sustainability code. Rolled out in 2010, the protocol look into all vineyard and winery inputs and outputs, providing guidance on everything from water conservation planning to best practices in human resources. Now it has been adopted by approximately 215 wineries in Argentina. The success of this code demonstrates the importance of adapting sustainability initiatives to local conditions, rather than strictly adhering to international standards, such as solar power requirements, that may not be practical in certain countries.

Dr. Catena, in her interview, elucidates the difficulties faced in achieving sustainability universally and on a global scale. She emphasizes the crucial role of invention, partnerships, and learning in addressing these problems, and provides a model for others to emulate.

Erica Duecy: Catena has an extensive record of supporting sustainability. Would you elaborate on the Bodegas de Argentina Sustainability Code and the current status of this project?

Dr. Laura Catena: Let’s start by reviewing the backdrop of participation in global wine sustainability agreements. Operating in non-first world countries presents distinct challenges that have not been addressed by several international wine sustainability groups. They fail to comprehend the scenario of working in Argentina. For instance, one of these groups required that you commit to transitioning to solar power within a specific timeframe. That’s simply not feasible in Argentina, given the scarcity of solar technology or infrastructure. Moreover, there’s no government support for such an endeavor, and solar energy is significantly more expensive than gas. Whereas Europe has access to electric tractors, these are not even available in Argentina. Furthermore, there’s the harsh reality of poverty in Argentina – a rural inhabitant’s carbon footprint is only a quarter the size of an American’s. So, this is a completely different situation.

This led us to the understanding that carbon emission reduction strategies need to be adapted to local conditions. This was the genesis of the Bodegas de Argentina Sustainability Code, a program initiated by Catena in 2008 and officially launched in 2010. Currently, 215 wineries have earned certification in accord with the sustainability code, and it enjoys international recognition.

The latest development is a commitment to carbon footprint measurement, based on a carbon calculator developed for wineries in Argentina by the certification consultancy LSQA. We partnered with LSQA with the intention that once it was developed, we could allow other companies access to its design, so it could be adopted widespread, beyond just Catena wines. We then contacted Wines of Argentina to assist us in promoting this service, which is happening presently.

Catena is on schedule to be the first winery with audited carbon emissions measurement. The new version of the code includes the following measures. First, the organization has a climate action plan, approved by its management. Second, the organization has set objectives for emission reduction. Third, the organization has computed its greenhouse gas emissions and established an action plan for reduction in line with its reduction goals. Fourth, the organization openly shares its objectives and communicates its advances toward mitigating climate change.

Question: How much of a wine’s carbon footprint is due to glass weight?

Answer: Some estimates suggest the glass weight can account for up to 60% of a wine’s carbon footprint. This includes manufacturing, hauling from a production facility to a winery, and transport once filled with wine to the end consumer. The highest emissions result from land transportation, not sea transportation.

The contribution of glass to the carbon footprint of a bottle of wine has been found to be even higher in Argentina, according to a study sponsored by the United Nations Environment Programme. The group, based at a university, found that the bottle alone, without considering other packaging, accounted for 58% of the carbon footprint of a locally-sold wine bottle in Argentina.

In their findings, the manufacturing and packaging stages were the most emission-intensive, contributing 63% of emissions, with 58% being due to the creation of the glass bottle. The agricultural stage gave rise to 30% of emissions, while 7% were due to winery processes, including electricity used in vinification. The last 1% of emissions were due to local distribution within Argentina. Thus, this distribution varies based on where the final buyer resides.

Duecy: Could you elucidate why the project to reduce the weight of glass bottles is so critical to you?

Dr. Catena: Our aim is to enhance the profile of Argentine wine for the next 200 years. Achieving this necessitates taking climate change seriously and contributing to efforts aimed at reducing climate emissions, both at home in Argentina and globally. This effort to reduce bottle weight is part and parcel of this commitment and has been an ongoing project for us at Catena for over ten years. We’ve made significant strides in reducing the weights of our volume wines. Over the last decade, we’ve recorded a 40% reduction in bottle weights across our Catena Family Wineries.

The average weight of high-end wine bottles typically ranges from 550 to 1,200 grams when they are empty. Catena is planning on reducing the weight of their Catena Appellation Malbec bottles from the original 700 grams down to 380 grams. Additionally, the company plans to decrease the weight of their Catena High Mountain Vines Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon bottles for export markets from 700 to 480 grams. These are significant changes and have the potential to save around 1,200 metric tons of glass annually.

There has been increased attention to this issue, most notably from European wine buyers. A retail chain has requested a commitment from us to reduce our carbon emissions by 45% by the year 2026. The only feasible way I can achieve is by harnessing solar power, but the current lack of an effective electrical grid in my country for solar power makes this an unlikely feat. Nevertheless, the requests come as they are required by their respective governments to reduce emissions. We have been continually communicating with the retailer in regards to what we can realistically achieve. Thankfully, some are willing to cooperate and understand our limitations. We are doing everything we can, but often the results are not as substantial as wineries situated in countries with more developed infrastructure.

Duecy: Could you tell us about the challenges you faced when you decided to switch to lighter bottles?

Dr. Catena: The transition to lighter bottles is rather challenging. Thankfully, we work with Verallia, a French glass manufacture that prioritizes mitigating climate change and has a factory based in Argentina. This allows us to make use of the advanced technology from France in Argentina. Creating lighter bottles requires a robust understanding of the process and the technology. For instance, there are areas on the bottles that are prone to fracturing. Furthermore, the shift to significantly lighter bottles, those weighing less than 400 grams, creates additional challenges on the bottling line. They are more susceptible to breakage and thus cannot be transported at the same speed along the line.

We certainly don’t want to rely on a single supplier, hence our need for additional manufacturers for the lighter bottles. We maintain collaborations with numerous glass manufacturers, which aids in keeping our glass costs low. Therefore, we need other producers to also transition to lighter glass bottles.

From a consumer awareness standpoint, there is also a hurdle to overcome. Currently, for wines priced between $12 and $15 that are in lighter bottles, the bottle quality is satisfactory. For sub-$15 wines, the brand and reviews predominantly influence consumer decision making, rather than the bottle itself. But for a $100 wine, akin to buying luxury fragrance, customers expect an attractive bottle, a stylish stopper, and a chic bag as they leave the shop. It’s premature to assume that consumers have moved past the desire for these elaborate additions. So, in my view, it is unreasonable to place the responsibility of resolving a worldly issue solely on a wine producer.

Duecy: Is there a significant price fluctuation between lighter and heavier bottles?

Dr. Catena: Typically, pricier bottles cost around $1 to $2. Cheaper bottles can be half that price, although this can differ between countries. It may seem that lighter bottles are less expensive, but in reality, that’s not the case.

Working with lighter bottles can actually be more expensive than heavier bottles. You have more breakage and you need additional quality control for bottle breakage, which is costly. There is absolutely no acceptance of glass in bottles. Hence, both a machine and an individual are required to oversee the process – a significant investment is made to ensure that there is no glass in the bottles. This is a more complex quality control process.

We are yet to reach there, but it’s my belief that we need to get to a point where the consumer should be willing to say, ‘I am ready to pay more or the same to get a lighter bottle, even if its cost is a bit less.’ This is because they understand that the environmental cost is reduced, and it’s worth opting for the change.

Duecy: The first wine that you’re unveiling with the 45% lighter bottle is Catena Appellation Vista Flores Malbec. Why this wine, and what’ll be its rollout strategy?

Dr. Catena: On-premise, there’s a higher chance for an educational campaign – we can lay emphasis on the lighter weight and turn it into a positive factor. This is as opposed to the negative potential of appearing less premium on the shelf, but without an explanation.

We have initiated an educational campaign specifically for the staff of the restaurant floors. The aim is to communicate to the end customer the benefits of utilizing lighter bottles. As part of this initiative, we will design an infographic to train on-campus teams in the U.S, and closely supervise the rollout. By conducting a survey, both pre and post-training session, we will measure the knowledge gained.

In addition, one of our retail partners, Gall & Gall, located in the Netherlands and boasting of more than 300 locations, will also see the launch of our educational campaign. The training of the floor staff will be facilitated through illustrations, and sales and surveys conducted both before and after the training will manage penetration.

Our wines are also set to launch at Angelica, our very own restaurant recognized by Michelin, located at Catena Zapata in Mendoza, Argentina. It is in our plan that the servers at this restaurant receive training and help us gather data on the queries posed by consumers.

Duecy: Could you please let us know about the other products that you plan to launch with lighter bottles and the expected timeline for these launches?

Dr. Catena: All Catena brand wines will transition from 700 gram to 500 gram bottles globally. Many will go even lower, to 480 grams or 380 grams, based on the line. For our Mountain Vines wines, we’re reducing from 700 grams to 480 grams, and have switched to a taller, more slender bottle that is both stylish and lighter. We’ve also updated the labels to better fit this bottle size.

Duecy: Will the bottle designs you’ve created in collaboration with manufacturers be accessible to other wineries?

Dr. Catena: Absolutely, we actually encourage other wine producers to use the same bottles. This ensures a greater supply and more production runs. We make all information about our glass and bottle changes available to other local producers at the Sustainability Code meetings.

Duecy: Many large retailers have signed the SWR Bottle Weight Accord with the intent to lower the average weight of bottles in their stocks to less than 420 grams by the close of 2026. Seemingly, this will necessitate a significant shift in bottle weights from hundreds, if not thousands, of producers. What’s your perspective on engaging producers around this initiative to achieve this goal?

Dr. Catena: Many retailers are expected to endorse this initiative. However, they must also resolve to enlighten their customers and collaborate with brands like ours to launch educational campaigns, equip their staff with the requisite knowledge, and designate signage that communicates, ‘Did you know that bottle weight contributes 60% of wine’s carbon footprint?’ Perhaps there should be a specified shelf section for lighter bottles.

They carry an obligation to enlighten their customers. Without this enlightenment, it becomes too easy for a customer to weigh two bottles in their hands and deem the heavier one as more superior and, consequently, worth the price — they don’t know any better.

So, retailers need to construct a strategy or formulate a plan that educates customers about bottle weight and the environmental benefits of opting for lighter bottles — without it, that’s quite a load to leave to producers. We, producers, don’t possess the same magnitude of scope to educate customers as retailers do in their stores.

Moreover, the wider trade community will need education and investment will be required for advertising and PR to aid in disseminating this message. Dr. Liz Thach has conducted research indicating that consumers are not informed about the carbon issues related to bottle weight, and they don’t particularly worry about it — their main concern is the quality of the wine.

This initiative has the potential to backfire. Suppose only the larger retailers adopt it, but don’t run any impactful promotional initiatives. It could then lead to smaller retailers or eateries to distinguish themselves by retaining the weightier, higher-end looking bottles. This could resonate with customers who aren’t aware of the specifics of bottle weight, leading to a regression. Hence, meticulous planning and thought should be given to ensure the success of this initiative.