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Taylors claims 100% carbon neutral status

Taylors Wines in the Clare Valley (also known as Wakefield Wines in the UK) claims its Eighty Acres range of wines is the first in the world to become 100% carbon neutral based on a life cycle assessment model compliant to ISO14044.

Taylors worked with Provisor to develop the LCA model to measure the carbon dioxide or equivalent emissions at every step in the lifecycle of the wines.

The lifecycle begins in the vineyard before harvesting and ultimately ends with the consumption, disposal and recycling of the finished packaging – a complete cradle to the grave approach. This analysis was then independently audited and approved by RMIT University.

The LCA approach allowed Taylors to define an accurate total carbon footprint and subsequently work to minimise emissions prior to off-setting the balance. Carbon Neutral, the not for profit organisation certified by the Australian Federal Government, then came onboard to offset the sum of carbon dioxide emissions through a range of domestic projects to ensure the avoided emissions maximise the benefit to the local environment.

Mitchell Taylor (pictured), managing director and winemaker says: “We are a family owned company operating in both rural and urban environments. This direct link with the land, along with the long term view we hold for our business development, results in a commitment to operating in a manner that eliminates any negative impact on the environment.”

Clinton Taylor has been appointed as environmental ambassador to champion for the company's broader environmental initiatives as well as oversee the management of the 100% carbon neutral programme for the Eighty Acres range.

Environmental initiativesOne of the winery's moves to assist in the reduction of emmissions has been to bottle Eighty Acres range in O-I’s new Lean + Green lightweight bottles. This new glass bottle is almost 40% lighter than the original glass used and delivers a reduction in CO²e per bottle of more than 15%.

Other initiatives include:

SO 14001 Environmental Management System
Eco-mapping
Water Recycling
Composting and vineyard mulching
Wakefield River regeneration
The use of energy from 100% renewable sources in Wakefield Head Office
Sheep grazing over the winter to reduce the need for both mowing and
weed spraying

The range
The new Eighty Acres range comprises the following wines, available with an RRP around £9.99 at the following wine merchants: Stratford’s Wine Agencies, Cheers Wine Merchants, Smart Liquor, Fareham Wine Cellar, Cooden Cellars, Alexander Hadleigh:

Point of sale materials - bottle stickers, carton stickers, neck boxes, shelf talkers and A4 header cards - are now available on the following wines, whose carbon emissions have all been offset:

Eighty Acres Chardonnay Viognier 2007
Eighty Acres Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 2006
Eighty Acres Shiraz Viognier 2006