The Maison de la Nature et de l'Environnement de Bordeaux-Aquitaine recently hosted a fascinating round table on the theme of "Wine and environmental transition". The event, organized with the support of startups from the Incubateur Bernard Magrez, brought together experts and entrepreneurs to discuss the challenges and innovations facing the wine industry in the face of environmental issues.
An emblematic venue for authentic exchanges
The choice of Bordeaux's Maison de la Nature et de l'Environnement (MNE) as the setting for this event is no mean feat. Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023, the MNE has established itself as a key player in the regional environmental ecosystem. This institution fulfills three essential missions, making it a unique place to address the challenges of ecological transition in the wine sector.
Complementary profiles for the round table moderators
The rich exchanges were orchestrated by two wine industry experts. Clémentine Chazal, a political scientist and researcher, brings an innovative perspective to environmental mobilizations in the wine sector. Her thesis, entitled "Du Cap de Bonne Espérance à la Pointe de Grave : une étude du vin nature et de ses enjeux politiques" (From the Cape of Good Hope to the Point of Grave: a study of natural wine and its political stakes), examines how the natural wine movement is redefining wine production by combining craftsmanship, ecology and resilience. Her research, which stretches from Bordeaux to South Africa's Western Cape, reveals how these networks of winemakers are not content simply to produce wine differently, but are carrying out a genuine political project to transform agricultural practices. For Clémentine, natural wine represents much more than just a niche market: it's an opportunity to fundamentally rethink how an entire industry produces and organizes itself in the face of climatic challenges.
At his side, Pénélope Godefroy embodies the practical commitment to sustainable viticulture. With twenty years' experience in the wine industry, she established herself as a pioneer of sustainable practices, long before they became a major issue in the sector. Her career at Artémis Domaines was marked by the management of ambitious biodynamic conversion projects and the implementation of an environmental approach that has now become the group's DNA. Currently at Château d'Yquem, she puts her expertise at the service of CSR strategy, pursuing her mission to place living beings at the heart of organizations. Her testimony is particularly valuable in understanding the challenges of adhesion and the keys to success in implementing innovative practices in ecological transition.
Olivier Claverie, a project leader supported by the Incubateur Bernard Magrez, completes the trio with his passion for environmental transition projects.
Innovations and concrete solutions from Bernard Magrez Incubator startups
Three project leaders, supported by the Bernard Magrez incubator, presented their innovative solutions:
Oenocorepresented by Laura Stelz, reinvents the deposit for more sustainable wine. Oenoco is committed to reducing the wine industry's carbon footprint by targeting glass bottles, responsible on average for 40% of a winery's CO₂ emissions. The startup designs innovative solutions to reintroduce deposits into the wine world, intervening across the entire value chain. From raising awareness among winemakers to creating a range of reusable glass bottles. Oenoco is also developing innovative crates, designed to optimize storage and reduce logistics and transport costs. By combining ecology, innovation and savings, Oenoco is redefining the standards for responsible, sustainable wine.
STARFISH BioscienceSTARFISH Bioscience, headed by Sandrine Claus, specializes in the innovation and development of microbiological solutions for agriculture and viticulture. The company offers a soil microbiota diagnostic service, enabling farmers to assess the functioning of this ecosystem on their land and identify potential imbalances. At the same time, Starfish Bioscience is developing new-generation microbiological solutions based on natural "keystone" bacteria, aimed at restoring and regenerating the functioning of soil microbial ecosystems. These innovations aim to improve sustainability and agricultural productivity while minimizing environmental impact, by tackling issues such as fertility and drought resilience.
Vinea Energiepresented by Romain Guillaument, supports the winegrowing industry in its decarbonization process with a collection and recycling service for uprooted vines. By not burning their vines in the open air, winegrowers avoid CO2 and fine-particle emissions, and contribute to supplying the region with biomass energy. Thanks to its carbon offsetting method, Vinea Énergie can compensate winegrowers for up to 90% of the cost of their services.
Key lessons
Several key points emerged from the discussions:
- The importance of economic balance The environmental transition can only succeed if it is economically viable. As companies point out, without a return on investment, innovation struggles to take off.
- The urgent need to act Winegrowing soils, particularly in Champagne, are showing worrying signs of impoverishment. Without immediate action, harvests could be threatened for decades to come.
- The role of regulation Legislation, in particular the AGEC law and CSRD obligations, plays an accelerating role. However, its effectiveness depends on the implementation of controls and sanctions.
- The need for a collective approach Innovations such as the deposit system can only succeed with the commitment of all players in the sector, from producers to consumers, and including public authorities.
- The long road to transition The biodynamic example shows that a successful transition can take many years, requiring patience and perseverance.
Towards incentive ecology
A consensus is emerging around the urgent need to devise incentive-based solutions, enabling the environmental transition to be fully integrated into the economic model of all players in the industry. The example of Cognac, where environmental premiums have been introduced, shows the way. Transparency of data and recognition of environmental efforts are essential levers for accelerating this transition.
The round table highlighted the fact that environmental transition in the wine sector is not only necessary but possible, provided that it combines technical innovation, economic viability and collective commitment.