Forbes : Mediterranean vineyards have solutions to reduce emissions and combat climate change

Château Maris

Eden believes vineyard design often lacks fauna habitat corridors, so he created pathways in through the Château Maris vineyards to encourage diverse wildlife. He also embraced the B Corp. certification to expand his wineries impact beyond the vineyard. “We want to reconnect with the human side and the community. Without that it’s almost senseless. How can you talk about terroir without caring for the community?”

Believing climate change is a decisive factor in the wine industry, his latest efforts test minimal energy consumption while limiting carbon dioxide emissions. He spent eight years building a 100% plant-based, fully biodegradable, energy self-sufficient, carbon negative wine production facility using a wood-hemp material known as hempcrete.

Furthermore, recognizing transportation is one of the industry’s largest carbon dioxide emitters, Eden exports his wines to the United States in a temperature-controlled cellar on an eighty-foot steel hulled schooner from France to New York. Once the wine is delivered, the boat sails to the Dominican Republic for loads of coffee and cocoa to carry back to France. A typical three-month voyage uses 150 liters of diesel fuel, compared to traditional cargo ships, which burn up to 200 tons a day. Once viewed by his peers as outlandish, wineries in regions Loire Valley, Rhône Valley, and Champagne are following suit.