The Perdriel winery obtained organic certification this year. In the coming months it will launch its first wines in this category.
We visited the facilities of Bodega Renacer, a small paradise in Perdriel where the architecture of the establishment and the landscaping introduce us to the philosophy of Patricio Reich, CEO and owner of the company, for whom "respecting the environment, its sustainability and the rational use of natural resources, guaranteeing the quality of the wines, is a commitment over time".
Following these lines, Renacer began in 2018 the process of converting all of its own vineyards to organic. But the path towards organic agronomy and oenology is made by addressing several sustainability axes: the work from the vineyard and the entire winemaking process; vegan wines that make up the traditional line of the winery; the certification of the Carbon Footprint; the use of sugar cane corks, solar energy in the barrel room and the reuse of water.
Vineyard management, restitution of a vital ecosystem
As we walk through the rows of Malbec, we enjoy a typical Mendoza sunny day and notice the unusual green grass emerging from the furrows. We are also surprised by the birds that flutter among the vineyards. The Perdriel estate surrounding the Renacer winery is coming to life and this incipient ecosystem is the result of the sustainable practices by which the vineyard has achieved organic certification.
"Pests are monitored and prevented, and in the event that curative treatments are needed, we use the elements authorised by the standard that certifies that we are organic, elements based on minerals such as sulphur, copper sulphate, those that our grandparents used", explains agronomist Gustavo Quattrocchi. The fertilisers are based on organic matter also authorised by the standard: humic and folic acids that come from compost or organic waste.
"As there is no organic product that is a herbicide, since eliminating the wrongly named weeds goes against the organic concept, what we do is to control these weeds, cutting them with a tractor or motor-scythe. We have to ensure that they do not compete with the vines and keeping them short is beneficial because they conserve humidity and generate an ecosystem in the soil with flora and fauna and a beautiful biodynamics", assures Renacer's agronomist.
In this Perdriel property there are 10 ha. of Malbec and another 6 ha. of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, most of them with optimised drip irrigation.
Organic winemaking
In addition to organic vineyard management, Renacer also received its certification as an organic winery. The process started two years ago. "The winery has to be impeccable and we have to separate the processes for our organic wines from the traditional wines," says Fernando Sota, the winery's Oenology and Viticulture Manager. "We use indigenous organic yeasts and others selected from certain vines that give the wine a specific flavour or aroma. We obtain more aromatic and expressive wines, that is to say that the organic process generates a change".
In addition, sulphites are used sparingly and labels, caps and capsules free of heavy metals are used. Another important input is the use of ecological corks, derived from sugar cane.
"Now we are going to recover the water we use in the process. Our aim is to replace all the inputs we need and be able to generate them ourselves, the solar panels we have give us 30% of the energy we need in a day's production, the goal is to reach 100%", Sota assures.
Carbon footprint neutralised
In 2010 Renacer certified for the first time its Carbon Footprint in the whole logistics and delivery process. It was the first Argentinean winery to do so. The certification was done in the process from the moment the bottle is bottled, dressed and delivered to the official distributor. Once the certifying entity quantifies the footprint monetarily, the winery pays and that money is distributed and reinvested in different projects around the world such as forest plantations, whale rescue or other ventures that help offset or balance the carbon footprint generated.
Organic wines and vegan wines.
The line of certified organic wines that will soon be on the market are: Punto Final Malbec, Punto Final Malbec Rosé and Punto Final Reserva Cabernet Franc.
However, Renacer has an extensive line of so-called traditional wines that have been previously certified as "vegan wines" because they do not use animal by-products for fining, nor do they use animal power in the processes. The aim of the wine company is to make all its lines completely organic.
100% green barrel room
With the incorporation of solar panels to its barrel room, Renacer goes one step further on its green path, reinforcing its commitment to the environment.
The room is conditioned with hot/cold air systems, with high energy consumption, in order to maintain the interior temperature controlled as needed at any time of the year.
With the addition of these solar panels, 68 photovoltaic panels of 390 watts each generate the necessary energy. They are located on the roof of the room that houses the barrels, and provide a total of 26.5 kw for the permanent operation of the air conditioning equipment needed for the ageing and storage of the Ícono and Reserva wines in optimal conditions.
Media: www.inmendoza.com
Note and cover photo: Valeria Mendez
Photos: María Eugenia Conte and Mayda Rodas
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