Concha y Toro completes measurement of its water footprint with positive results

After starting to measure its water footprint, in alliance with Fundación Chile and Water Footprint Network, the results show that Viña Concha y Toro uses 40% less water than the estimated average of the global industry to produce a glass of wine. It also becomes the world’s first winery to measure its water footprint using the Water Footprint Network methodology, the most complete and prestigious of the industry and which may serve as a model and benchmark for other wineries to measure theirs.

These results are of great importance as Concha y Toro shows a water footprint below the estimated average in selected zones and regions of France, Argentina, Australia, Italy, USA and Spain (*). The measurement of Concha y Toro’s water footprint was also the first initiative in the wine industry in the world made under the methodology used by Water Footprint Network and the technical assistance provided by Fundación Chile, which helped the winery in this work.

It was also managed to identify the production stages where the largest water footprints are: 92% is in the grape production stage and 8% in winemaking and bottling. As the company has 87% of its vineyard cultivated area with drip-feed irrigation, this ensures a high degree of efficient use of the resource and it is projected that the company will continue to improve its sustainable use of water in the future as it aspires to gradually increase the area irrigated by drip-feed. The measurement also showed that 97% of the water footprint of Concha y Toro is within Chile and 90% can be classified with a high to medium degree of performance by the company (grape production and own operations). It is planned to continue with this measurement annually, introducing improvements and implementing the recommendations that arise from the process.

Juan Ramón Candia, manager of water and the environment of Fundación Chile, the organization entrusted with carrying out the measurement, says that “the experience in Concha y Toro is the first water footprint measurement in the world in the wine sector. I believe that this will enable the Chilean wine industry to position itself in terms of sustainability with a potent signal to its external markets. As the Fundación Chile, this experience has enabled us to deepen and strengthen our knowledge, as well as make an exhaustive revision of the methodology, identifying its strengths and weaknesses for its future application in other industries”.

Cristóbal Goycoolea, manager of sustainable development in Viña Concha y Toro added that “this first calculation of the corporate water footprint of Concha y Toro is a further sign of the strength and seriousness of our commitment in matters relating to the conservation of the environment and its resources, and a new step in our strategy of the winery’s sustainable development. And it is the initial toe-hold in the development of a comprehensive management policy for the company’s water resources”.

Detailed information

Water footprint: Total volume of fresh water used directly or indirectly in carrying out and sustaining the business. This comprises the operational footprint (direct) and the supply-chain footprint (indirect).

- The following is the scope of the Concha y Toro water footprint survey:

1. Direct operational water footprint (winemaking and bottling operations)

2. Overhead operating water footprint (energy water footprint)

3. Supply-chain water footprint (include the water footprints of the grapes, gelatines, casks, bottles, corks, capsules and cases)

The survey covered the bottling plants of Pirque, Vespucio and Lo Espejo and the cellars of Nueva Aurora, Puente Alto, Vespucio, Cachapoal, Peralillo, Lourdes, Lontué, Las Mercedes, Curicó and San Javier, and the farming operations of Concha y Toro in 38 vineyards located in the country’s main vine-growing valleys.

(*) Referential data as the calculations provided by the survey are general averages, while the CyT’s value is a detailed calculation)