Recycling FTW: An Interview with Parés Baltà
Oops! Looks like this is a pic of what not to do.
Waste is a huge issue when it comes to wine production, and it can really contribute to the carbon footprint of producing a bottle (or box or can!) of wine. When doing our legwork for this month’s theme, we asked questions about how growers and makers are working to be better and better by using less to still make really tasty wines.
We also had an in: Last year, Jess from UnWined visited the maker of one of the wines in this month’s trio, the Parés Baltà Calcari 2020, which - if you’ve joined the club - you’ll know by now is a scrumptious white that’s full-bodied, minerally, and fab in the summer. During her visit, Jess had the pleasure of spending 8 (!) hours with the owner and winemakers, exploring their vineyards in the mountains in the Penedès region of Spain. She reached out to her friend there, David Gascón, so we could pose our questions, and here’s what he had to say:
GoodWine and UnWined: On the topic of reducing waste, do you all have any examples of how you conserve water?
David: Yes! We don’t irrigate our vines, enriching the soil and saving water in the process. We also have an underground river that flows a few feet under the cellar. We use the water for our garden and other plants, too.
GoodWine and UnWined: Cool! Do you all do any recycling? Or composting and/or reusing grape pomace?
David: Winemaking depends on the land and the environment, so the winery waste management becomes a key concern. The good news is that almost everything generated in our winery can be recycled or composted: glass, carton box, corks, paper, grape pomace, and vines that have been pruned.
We also recycle the grape pomace, the primary waste of wine making, and use it as a soil conditioner, too, since it’s organic and has nutrients.
In the vineyard, during winter pruning, we collect all the vine shoots and pack them. We sell the packets as this kind of wood is excellent for grilling and barbecuing.
GoodWine and UnWined: This is all really great info! Do you have any examples of how you work to reduce the amount of energy/electricity you use?
David: In the near future we will use solar energy to power our operations to substantially reduce energy expenses. We will install roof-top solar panels to supplement other energy sources. These systems will include on-site energy storage capabilities to provide power during peak pricing hours or when energy demand is low.
Upshot is that we heard such encouraging stories! And all of this certainly points to sustainability being a labor-intensive process that has economic benefits—but requires a lot of planning and know-how, too.
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