Tuscany's Banfi is the first winery in the world to win an ISO award for sustainability

Banfi is the first winery in the world to win an ISO award for sustainability. A 100-year-old, family-run company revolutionizing an ancient tradition has been necessary for Banfi from the outset. Banfi was able to buy and develop Tuscan vineyards in the ‘70s and invest in decade long research into the 15 best healthiest clones out of 650 Sangiovese grapes. Then and now those healthy clones help the winery combat environmental and agricultural challenges.

Christina Mariani-May, one of the industry’s few female CEOs said, “If our region produces better wine and continues to evolve as a top producing region on the global playing field, ultimately we all provide people around the world with better wine… it’s always about making a difference for the region above anything else."

The company uses lightweight bottles to save 6,340 tonnes of raw materials for every one million bottles made. The company cut its water usage by 80% by implementing micro-irrigation, practices in low-input farming and the list goes on. Winemaking is agricultural and subtle shifts in temperamental variables can make dramatic differences in wine from year to year. Banfi’s school of thought is that companies- rather than individuals alone- have a social responsibility to uphold. Innovation in wine is a subtler affair- one that pays into a communal pot than personal coffers.