Aware of the need to change our habits in order to preserve our environment, Bordeaux Tradition is committed to many aspects in favor of the preservation of our ecosystem.
Our environmental project
Since 1999 and the arrival of Frédéric Bernard at the head of Bordeaux Tradition has always worried about its impact on the environment. Our commitment to preserving our ecosystem and biodiversity is not new. For many years, we have been promoting the use of lightweight bottles, FSC-certified corks and recycled & recyclable cardboard. We have also always made sure to limit our energy costs in our offices and our cellars. Nevertheless, we now wanted to take the next step and engage more concretely for our planet. Thus, we decided to build, with the accompaniment of Mathieu Huguet, the Bordeaux Tradition environmental charter. This charter aims to bring together our internal commitments but also to establish a “green line” for our partner estates and our suppliers.
The majority of wine industry workers are now aware of the need for a transition to more sustainable methods. Moreover, the CIVB has been working for several years on the ecological transition of the Bordeaux vineyards through its Climate Plan 2020. In parallel, more and more estates are certified HVE, Terra Vitis, organic or biodynamic. Many of our exclusive chateau have made considerable efforts on the subject, but this is not obvious for all winemakers. There are barriers both human (I will not be able to do everything alone), that educational (so many new ways of cultivating, which one, which ones to choose and how?) And financial (how will I finance this new practice? Will the customer accept a price increase even if I do not have a certification?).
Sustainable viticulture methods
We wanted to simplify and offer more sustainable viticulture options, which seem to make the most difference. This approach allows growers to evolve at their own pace, followed by Mathieu Huguet and BT.
Thus, we have drawn up an environmental charter grouping 10 alternative methods to conventional viticulture. Aware of the problems of our winemakers, we have been thinking about solutions that are neither too expensive nor requiring too much manpower. Although these techniques are absolutely necessary for the preservation of our ecosystem, they nevertheless have their limits and their deployment is not always obvious. This is why we are committed to supporting our exclusive properties in this transition process, thanks to a 5-step methodology: inform, audit, improve, convince and communicate.
Eco-friendly packaging
In addition to work in the vineyards, we felt that it was also necessary to make a change in the materials used for the packaging of our exclusive Castles. From now on, wherever possible, we use dry materials that comply with BT ecoresponsible specifications, in accordance with our partner properties. Thus, all bottling organized by BT is made with recycled glass bottles: “BD Préférence OI Distribution” (up to 85% recycled glass, the second lightest bottle on the Bordeaux market, produced locally in Vayres). We also use FSC-certified corks (the guarantee of a product from controlled and responsibly harvested forests), and as soon as possible, “rustrel” paper labels (the only 100% recycled paper & Made In France); vegetable printing (we avoid gilding to the fullest), and 75% recycled / 100% recyclable cartons.
And in order to fully communicate this commitment to our consumers, we have developed a logo “Logic Eco” that we affix on the labels of our wines bottled with ecologically responsible materials.
Our daily commitments
Recently our cellar has been Organic certified by Ecocert. We now justify an adequate warehouse to store as long as possible the wines of our partners.
In parallel with these major projects and for many years, we take daily care of our non-renewable energy consumption. Inspired by the CIVB’s 2020 Climate Plan, at our level, we closely follow the recommendations to reduce our carbon footprint, our consumption of water and fossil fuels. In everyday life, every gesture counts, even the smallest, and we are aware of it.