Wine world urged to face sustainability challenge in new book

The new title from Académie du Vin Library argues wine is “the canary in the coal mine” of climate change. 

The global wine industry must wake up to the realities of climate change and sustainability, according to the authors of a major new book, Rooted in Change: The Stories Behind Sustainable Wine.

Written by veteran wine consultant Jane Masters MW and wine journalist Andrew Neather, the book will be published on 1 October 2025 by the Académie du Vin Library. It explores the environmental and social impacts of wine, from grape growing through to packaging, transport and retail.

Climate pressure on wine regions

Masters and Neather highlight that wine regions from Chablis to Chile are already feeling the effects of extreme weather, from drought to floods. Global wine production in 2024 fell to its lowest level since 1961. “It is no longer a given that places like Bordeaux will be able to make wine in 50 years’ time,” they warn.

Their research also shows that around 40% of a bottle of wine’s carbon footprint comes from the glass bottle, while even organic vineyards can be sprayed with fungicides up to 20 times a year.

The book also considers “social sustainability” in the wake of vineyard labour scandals, assessing the ethics of the trade from Champagne to South Africa.

Producers finding solutions

Despite the scale of the challenge, the authors uncover examples of producers taking action. Californian vineyards are adopting regenerative farming, Chilean growers are thriving with biodynamics, and South African producers report biodiversity returning to their land. UK businesses are cutting emissions by shipping wine in bulk from Australia and bottling in Cheshire.

Neather said: “In some ways, researching this book has been scary. The sheer scale of the environmental challenges is daunting. At the end of the day, we can only make imperfect choices. But travelling the world to research this book, I met so many inspiring people making amazing wines while reducing their impact on the planet. That’s really positive.”

Masters added: “Sustainability is complicated but we can all make a difference. The starting point is having an understanding of the interconnected issues. I hope this book goes some way to giving a holistic overview as a basis for discussion and collaboration to build a sustainable future.”

Rooted in Change – The Stories Behind Sustainable Wine (hardback, RRP £20/$25, ISBN 978-1-917084-70-3) will be available from Académie du Vin Library from 1 October 2025.

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