Denbies becomes first UK winery to produce net zero wine

Denbies joins only a handful of wine producers globally that have achieved net zero in wine production.

Denbies Wine Estate CEO, Chris White, said that the company owes this accomplishment to its ongoing commitment to sustainable and responsible wine production.

He added: “As one of the founder members of Sustainable Wines of Great Britain, we are absolutely delighted that our wines are now produced with net zero impact.

“This is another example of the UK wine industry continuing to strive for excellence in all areas of wine production. We committed to becoming net zero as part of a five-year plan in 2022 and are delighted to have reached that goal in under two and a half years.”

Taking responsibility for environment

The Estate, which is both an agricultural business and a tourist destination, totals 380 acres, which includes 265 acres of vines and surrounding woodland. It sits within the Surrey Hills National Landscape.

Denbies’ team said that they have taken responsibility for the wider environment and the surrounding countryside very seriously. This includes leaving 10 acres within the vineyard in their natural state to encourage biodiversity.

Other actions include self-generating green energy that has been installed on the winery buildings and environmental best practices for all new capital investment.

Denbies’ latest figures, which include the bumper harvest and bottling from 2023, show that the Estate sequestered more carbon than it emitted, leaving a carbon balance of -96 tonnes of CO2e.

Certified carbon neutrality  

Denbies appointed Triage, a land management consultancy, to independently certify its carbon neutrality and to realise their ambition to create net zero wine.

Triage used the UK Carbon Code of Conduct (UKCCC) framework to measure, report and verify all Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions from the wine production process, including bottling and transportation, and measure carbon sequestration from the Estate’s natural capital: its vineyards, habitats and soil.

The UKCCC certifies the net zero position, ensuring that Denbies’ wine Scope 3 emissions into the retail supply chain are zero. Its methodology and protocols align with the highest global standards including SBTI (science-based standards) and ICVCM (Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market).

Nature-friendly farming journey  

Triage CPO, Pete Wain, added: “We are delighted to use our expertise to support Denbies in playing their part in the reversal of climate change and biodiversity collapse, all whilst maintaining their primary business objective, i.e. to produce award-winning, net zero certified wine.

“We have delivered a fully auditable, robust, and holistic set of baselines, and developed an ongoing carbon emissions’ reduction and sequestration plan, and we look forward to providing continued assistance on Denbies’ nature-friendly farming journey.”

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