Faced with climate change and growing expectations around sustainability, a new generation of labels is emerging. An overview of the standards reshaping environmental commitment in wine estates.
A wine region in transition
The Bordeaux wine region is now among the most environmentally engaged in France. 75% of the industry is now part of an environmental initiative, compared to 35% in 2014. This acceleration is driven by reduced inputs, biodiversity preservation, and the fight against climate change.
Bordeaux thus stands among the leading French wine regions, behind the Rhône Valley (94%) and ahead of Champagne (70%) and the Loire Valley (60%). The national average sits between 45 and 50%.
This momentum responds to four structural challenges: climate, biodiversity, soil health, and water resources. All of these concerns now sit at the heart of the specifications of the new standards.
A new generation of standards
Alongside the historical labels (HVE, AB, Terra Vitis, Demeter, Biodyvin…), around twenty schemes now coexist to recognise responsible practices on wine estates. Five emerging labels particularly illustrate the shift towards more comprehensive, measurable, and science-based approaches.
The Collectif Nouveaux Champs, created in 2024 as a continuation of the ZRP label (Zero Pesticide Residues) and developed with the NGO Noé, aims to preserve and restore biodiversity. It is built around four families of indicators — agroecological infrastructure, soil management, reduction of environmental pressures, and nitrogen fertilisation — assessed on a 100-point scale.
Diversity ARK, founded in 2021 in Italy, offers a comprehensive assessment of the vineyard’s agroecological vitality through scientific indicators: soil analysis, insect biodiversity, plant diversity, and regulatory compliance.
A Greener World (AGW), an international organisation founded in 2014 and working with 6,000 farms, supports estates through a tailored regenerative plan structured around five pillars: soil health, biodiversity, inputs, climate, and social and governance issues.
Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC), an international certification conditional upon prior organic certification, recognises operations that go beyond organic by integrating soil health, biodiversity, animal welfare, and social responsibility. Three levels distinguish the different approaches: bronze, silver, and gold.
Certified Regenified, of American origin, is based on the 6-3-4 principle: six soil health principles, three adaptive management rules, and four ecosystem processes. It assesses operations across more than 65 field indicators.
Choosing the right path
Each label has its own identity. Some favour a measurable, scientific approach, others a logic of progress and continuous improvement. The level of stringency, commercial recognition, and geographical footprint vary significantly from one standard to another.
Faced with this diversity, there is no universal choice. The right path depends on the estate’s strategy, its target markets, and its environmental priorities.
Supporting you along the way
At Vignerons Consultants, our environment team supports estates in choosing and implementing the approach best suited to their trajectory. From initial assessment and action plan design to indicator monitoring, we work with you to build a coherent project, tailored to your vineyard and your ambitions.
Do you have a certification project in mind, or would you like to evolve your practices? Let’s talk.
Your dedicated consultants: Pauline Lagarde and Stella Delmond.