Co-founders Familia Torres and Jackson Family Wines Honored for Leading Decarbonization of Global Wine Industry
Santa Rosa, CALIF. (November 6, 2019) – International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) has received the 2019 Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Award for Social Visionary of the Year. The Wine Star Awards honor industry game changers that have made outstanding achievements in the wine and alcohol beverage world. IWCA received this distinction for its visionary leadership to galvanize collaborative action within the global wine community to mitigate and reverse the impacts of climate change by decarbonizing the industry.
In February 2019, Familia Torres of Spain and Jackson Family Wines of California co-founded IWCA to tackle the world’s most defining environmental challenge and to create a cleaner, more resilient wine community for future generations. IWCA members must first establish a baseline carbon footprint across Scopes 1, 2 & 3 by conducting a third-party verified greenhouse gas emissions inventory. The next key phase is to promote the ongoing development of emissions reduction strategies. As an international working group, IWCA members target an overall reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of 80% by 2045, with a shorter-term target of 50% by 2030.
IWCA builds on the pioneering environmental stewardship of both Familia Torres and Jackson Family Wines. Both family-owned wine companies have long crafted quality wines with respect for healthy vineyard ecosystems and building a lasting agricultural heritage for future generations. Through ongoing land conservation projects and innovative energy and water management, Familia Torres and Jackson Family Wines have made significant strides in reducing their environmental impacts, including reducing carbon emissions by more than 25% per bottle of wine produced.
Miguel A. Torres, president at Familia Torres and member of the family’s fourth generation, said, “It’s an honor to receive recognition for IWCA this first year and it is great to see that several wineries are already in process of becoming applicants or full members. My hope is that many more will be inspired to join our mission at IWCA and additional business sectors will begin similar initiatives to effectively implement carbon emissions reduction programs.” Katie Jackson, second-generation proprietor and senior vice president of corporate social responsibility at Jackson Family Wines, stated, “IWCA is a critical first step for the collaboration required to create scalable solutions rooted in science and the sharing of best practices. It underscores the strategic action the industry must take to change the trajectory we are currently on.”
IWCA is unique from previous environmental initiatives in the industry given its sole focus on drastically reducing carbon emissions, grounded in clear goals and science-based research, with forward progress tracked annually by each winery member. Since announcing the launch of IWCA, the working group has solidified the standing rules for membership that will set the standards of measurement for a successful plan to reduce carbon emissions. To join IWCA, potential member wineries need to be powered by at least 20 percent on-site renewable energy, have completed a greenhouse gas emissions inventory across Scopes 1, 2 & 3 and demonstrate a minimum 25 percent reduction in CO2 emissions per unit of wine produced from a baseline emissions inventory to demonstrate ongoing commitment.
Founded in 2019 by Familia Torres of Spain and Jackson Family Wines of California, International Wineries for Climate Action (IWCA) was created by two leading wine families deeply rooted in environmental stewardship and a passion to preserve the world’s great wine heritage in the face of climate change. IWCA is a working group with a mission to take collective action to decarbonize the global wine industry, underscored with goals for member wineries to achieve a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and an 80% reduction by 2045. IWCA is open to wineries who recognize that climate change is the most significant threat to the wine community and are guided by the urgency for strategic action to accelerate innovative solutions.
About Familia Torres: @TorresWines
The origins of the Torres family in the Catalan Penedès region – near Barcelona – date back to the 17th century. Historically, the family has vineyards in the Catalan appellations of origin Penedès, Conca de Barberà, Priorat and Costers del Segre. Miguel Torres, fourth generation, pioneered in planting Cabernet Sauvignon in Spain creating ‘Mas la Plana’ in 1970. Today the fifth generation is focusing on recovering ancestral Catalan varieties. Familia Torres is present in other Spanish iconic regions with singular wines and vineyards, as well as in Chile and California. Torres is a member of Primum Familiae Vini (PFV), an association of 12 wine families who are among the most prestigious wine producers of their regions.
About Jackson Family Wines: @JacksonFamilyWines
Jackson Family Wines is a family-owned wine company with a penchant for exploration. Founder Jess Jackson placed his faith in farming and a meticulous expression of wine with his first landscape-changing vintage in 1982, an ethos that chairman and proprietor Barbara Banke, the Jackson family and the company’s employees continue to uphold to this day. The family’s collection of 40 wineries span significant winegrowing regions across the globe, from California, Oregon, France and Italy in the northern hemisphere, to Australia, Chile and South Africa in the southern half of the globe. Artisan winemaking underscores a steadfast commitment to making exceptional wines in the most responsible manner. The Jackson family’s focus on vineyard ownership remains key to consistent high quality and environmental stewardship for future generations.
