Martini on track to become certified sustainable

By Lisa Riley

Published: 19 July, 2021

Martini has announced that all its Asti grape suppliers are on track to becoming certified sustainable in 2021.

The Italian sparkling wine and vermouth from family-owned Bacardi said the achievement followed decades spent pioneering sustainable practices in the vineyards of northwest Italy.

The announcement comes as Bacardi celebrates its 150 years since Martini & Rossi produced its first samples of ‘moscato spumante d’Asti’ back in 1871. The Martini Santo Stefano Belbo winery, located in the heart of the Asti region and responsible for producing 30% of all the grape must for Martini Asti, was recently certified sustainable by Equalitas, the most comprehensive sustainability standard in Italian wine making, following an audit by certification body Valoritalia.

Of the remaining 70%, more than two-thirds of the grape must suppliers have also been certified sustainable by Equalitas, with the remainder on track to be certified this year, said Martini.

Together with the recent announcement that the 10 botanicals used to create Bombay Sapphire will be certified sustainable in 2021, the latest news was another major step towards Bacardi achieving its 2025 goal of sourcing 100% of its key ingredients from sustainably certified suppliers, it added.

“There is a deep connection between Martini, the land and the people – it’s a solid foundation for making quality wine,” said Giorgio Castagnotti, director of the Martini operations centre in Pessione, Italy.

“We have worked closely with the same farming communities growing the finest Moscato grapes in the same beautiful hills for generations – in fact for the last 150 years – and we want to continue to do so for generations to come. It’s always made sense then for us to support our grape growers through our sustainability initiatives.”

Stefano Stefanucci, director of Equalitas, added: “This is a big achievement for Martini. Equalitas only works with third-party auditors who are experts with a deep knowledge of the wine sector and the certification process is wholly holistic.”

Equalitas embraces three sustainability pillars – environmental, ethical and economical – and takes into consideration everything from a winery’s carbon footprint and water consumption through to fair commercial terms for farmers and good social practices including training and welfare.

Martini has announced that all its Asti grape suppliers are on track to becoming certified sustainable in 2021.

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