Bacardi’s best-selling Italian sparkling wine and vermouth label, Martini, says that all of the wineries in its portfolio are now certified sustainable.
The spirits industry has been steadily moving in a sustainable direction in recent years.
Moët Hennessy announced a €20 million research center last October to help its transition to more sustainable practices. Its Hennessy label launched a reforestation program earlier this year. Canada’s Crown Royal is decarbonizing its whisky factories. Scotland’s Bruichladdich Distillery and Ireland’s Waterford Distillery, both launched biodynamic whisky last year. There’s “carbon-negative” vodka made from carbon-captured air, and spirits made from upcycled food waste.
Then, there’s the ever-expanding list of mezcal and tequila producers harvesting and producing sustainably in Mexico that includes celebrity-fronted offerings from Breaking Bad co-stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, as well as offerings from Eva Longoria and Kendall Jenner.
But sparkling winemaker Martini is taking a page out of France’s playbook, where the world’s largest wine-producing region is well on its way toward transitioning all of its farmers and winemakers to more sustainable practices.
Now, for the Bacardi Limited winemaker, there’s a similar threshold for accountability; it’s ensuring all of its producers are certified according to sustainability standards set by Equalitas, which boasts the most comprehensive sustainability standards in the Italian wine industry.
According to the 159-year-old Martini, “every drop” of grape juice used in its alcoholic and non-alcoholic wines are sourced from sustainable wineries. The company says the effort builds on its decades of sustainability commitments that started in 1863 in Turin, Italy.
“It takes a lot of years and a lot of dedication to achieve a milestone like this one,” says Martini Master Blender Beppe Musso. “For generations, we have cared for the environment, for our suppliers and for their communities. This certification by Equalitas recognizes the value of those relationships and the value of pioneering sustainable practices.”
Martini was an early pioneer in sustainable farming, launching the Martini Observatory in Northern Italy in 1987, which was dedicated to the exploration and promotion of sustainable farming for its wines. Most recently, the L’Osservatorio Martini has also been growing the botanic ingredients used in the brand’s vermouth and non-alcoholic aperitivo range.
Bacardi Limited’s sustainability commitments extend to its Bacardi Rum and the ten botanicals found in its Bombay Sapphire spirits. The company says both of those ranges are fully sustainably sourced with the goal of sourcing all of its key ingredients from sustainable suppliers by 2025.
“The scale of what Martini has achieved is a first in the Italian wine industry. Equalitas certification is a rigorous process that doesn’t happen overnight so for Martini to achieve it across 100 percent of its wineries is extraordinary,” said Stefano Stefanucci, Director of Equalitas.
An Italian-born sustainability initiative, Equalitas says it looks at a number of components, including carbon footprint, water consumption, as well as labor practices and wages. The organization works with third-party auditors to certify farmlands based on its three sustainability pillars, including environmental, ethical, and economical. The program is endorsed by Federdoc, the Italian Confederation of Voluntary Consortia for the Protection of the Designations of the Italian Wines.
“The care we place on the sourcing of every ingredient is reflected in the quality and taste of every drop of Martini,” said Victoria Morris, Global VP of Martini. “That’s as true for our classic vermouths and sparkling wines as it is for our newest innovation, the fantastic Martini Non-Alcoholic Aperitivo range.”
The shift into sustainability isn’t the only trend Martini is getting a jump on. The label’s non-alcoholic drinks come as the nascent aperitifs market is seeing a burst of interest. Brands including Bella Hadid’s Kin Euphorics and Katy Perry’s De Soi are leading the non-alcoholic tonic wellness trend.