Doña Paula gains sustainability accreditation

Santa Rita Estate’s premium Argentinean winery Doña Paula has gained Argentina’s highest accreditation for sustainability.

Doña Paula’s head winemaker Marcos Fernandez

The Mendoza- based winery, which is part of Chilean wine group Santa Rita Estates, has achieved the Bodegas de Argentina Sustainability Protocol 3.0, the most up-to-date version of the country’s sustainability programme, that was rolled out in June 2018.

It is one of only ten Argentinean wineries to achieve the standard, which was originally developed by an association of 240 Argentine wineries and the Catena Institute of Wine, and addresses the specific environmental, social and economic challenges in Argentina’s viticulture and ensures wineries of all sizes can farm sustainably and preserve the country’s viticultural heritage.

The winery’s sustainability coordinator Ana Paula Minatel described it as a “great achievement” made possible by the work the company had carried out in different parts of the company over the past three years,.

“This certification also represents a challenge that drives all the Doña Paula team to improve our social and environmental performance throughout the winemaking process, minimizing the impact of our operations on the environment and generating shared value with our workers, their families and the communities,” she said.

The Doña Paula winery was established by Santa Rita Estates, also known as the Claro Wine Group, in 1997 and now comprises around 760 hectares in the premium areas of Luján de Cuyo and Uco Valleys in Mendoza, including 135hectares at Gualtallary.