The Rise of Regenerative Viticulture

For much of the 20th century, human agriculture significantly contributed to the decline in species diversity across the world. The wine industry is not exempt from this: a paradigm which favoured creating a monoculture in the vineyard, aided by the liberal application of synthetic pesticides and fertilisers, became the dominant model.

Today, however, a quiet revolution in attitudes is reshaping how farmers manage their vines. A growing number of producers are embracing regenerative viticulture – a holistic approach to farming that prioritises soil health, carbon capture, and biodiversity. It is a philosophy that seeks not just to sustain the land, but to heal it. And it's catching on.

"Working regeneratively has undoubtedly improved the quality of our soil and grapes. Composting is one of the key elements, something we are studying very closely at Domaine Bousquet," explains co-founder Anne Bousquet.

She continues: "The biggest challenge was transitioning how we worked the soil. We were used to a system of tillage so stopping this and subsequently maintaining the correct balance of weeds, and controlling invasive species, was a huge challenge.

"Yet this investment is already paying off:  the improvements to the physical structure and nutrients in the soil has encouraged micro development and diversification of the land. This diversification results in better yeast balance, which in turn has a direct effect on the fruit and means more stable fermentations and less interventions."

The Argentine firm has been at the forefront of this viticultural reawakening. In 2022, a key milestone came when Domaine Bousquet became the first South American winery to achieve Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) status.



"Soil health is essential to achieving carbon net zero," Bousquet adds. "One of the routes to this is stopping tillage and using compost, in addition to encouraging cover crops to improve biodiversity, soil nutrients and structure, all of which contribute to carbon sequestration."

Biodiversity benefits

Meanwhile, wineries are redesigning their landscapes to restore biodiversity in vineyards and surrounding ecosystems. Key elements include protecting surrounding forests and other natural habitats, planting cover crops - vegetation planted between vine rows to attract beneficial organisms - and cultivating hedgerows.

But encouraging biodiversity isn't simply desirable for ecological reasons. Indeed, when combined with pheromone capsules that disrupt insect mating, it creates conditions where natural predators thrive - a cost-effective alternative to pesticides.

"You cannot underestimate the positive effects on vine health - increased biodiversity helps us to increase natural control of pests and diseases," says Sebastian Tramon, head of sustainability at Viña Emiliana. "Moreover, if problems with pest attacks do develop then biodiversity helps us to isolate blocks and to avoid the problem spreading over the whole vineyard. It's a useful management technique."

This is a hallmark of regenerative viticulture – a holistic system where change sets off a chain of positive effects, some of which aren't immediately visible. Growers will highlight, for example, biodiversity's role in improving soil fertility, reducing erosion risk, and enhancing soil structure and water retention. These benefits, from healthier soils to promoting greater resilience, are what make this approach so compelling to producers willing to rethink how they farm.



Providing inspiration

Today, industry leaders are helping to spread the gospel, with pioneering wineries, trade bodies and certification groups working to position regenerative viticulture as more than a buzzword. Yet progress is uneven – and confusion remains widespread. According to Stephen Cronk, trustee of the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation (RVF): "Even people who have heard of it often can't describe what it means, and this is of course a major hurdle to adoption of regenerative farming practices in wine."

He continues: "The most knowledgeable are the growers, many of whom are already going beyond basic organic or sustainable farming and focusing on practices that regenerate soil health and biodiversity. Another challenge is that there are several ways to describe regenerative agriculture, including agroecology, conservation agriculture, nature-based farming, holistic land stewardship and carbon farming."

It is worth noting, Cronk adds, that with the exception of California, no other state or nation has created a formal definition of regenerative agriculture. Moreover, it still occupies a small corner of the industry, notwithstanding the progress made over the past decade. For many, it is arguably loosely associated with sustainability, but its principles remain poorly understood beyond key advocates. Until that knowledge gap is closed, regenerative viticulture will struggle to break out of its niche.



In addition, the feasibility of adopting regenerative practices is not uniform across all winegrowing regions. Climate and environmental conditions in the UK, for example, are hardly ideal - disease pressures and rot were major concerns during the 2024 vintage. 

"The unique challenges UK vineyards face include yields: our quantities are generally much smaller than those in other parts of the world. Therefore the risks could be greater if a drastic change to vineyard management is made," says Matt Struggnell, head of viticulture at Ridgeview.

"The UK also has vineyards scattered around the country – many different locations, topographies and soil types. Therefore it is hard to be prescriptive about the most suitable practices overall – what works in one location may well not work in another."

Nevertheless, early adopters, at least in warmer climates, are proving that the model works. "Many of the growers farming regeneratively are seeing minimal impact on yields in the medium to long-term, yet they're seeing improved fruit quality," emphasises Cronk.

"In addition many of them are experiencing increased disease resistance and a reduction in input costs. So with better fruit and lower post-transition input costs, there are more arguments for moving in this direction than against."

The RVF has unveiled a bold ambition: 10% of the world's vineyards farmed regeneratively by 2035. But this will require major "structural changes across policy, supply chains and finance" if this high-minded goal is to become a reality, as Cronk underlines.

"Together, these changes can lower barriers, incentivise and de-risk adoption, and create the systemic momentum needed to scale regenerative viticulture globally."

If the past decade has shown anything, it's that change is inevitable. Regenerative viticulture is taking root – and from small shoots, big revolutions grow.