Certified sustainability counts, even for big names: Martini & Rossi (Bacardi) chooses Equalitas

150 years ago, in 1871, when Italy had been united for 10 years and was in full creative and identity ferment, the first bottles of “Moscato Spumante d’Asti” were produced at Martini & Rossi. And today one of the historical brands of made in Italy, icon of sparkling wine and vermouth, owned by Bacardi, celebrates this century and a half under the sign of sustainability, announcing that all the over 200 suppliers of Moscato Bianco grapes for the production of Asti, by 2021, will be Equalitas certified, the sustainability certification system of the company controlled by Federdoc, Unione Italiana Vini, Csqa, Valoritalia, Gambero Rosso and 3Avino. An important signal from a brand controlled by a large multinational beverage company that clearly invests in sustainability certification. The Martini winery in Santo Stefano Belbo, in the heart of Asti’s hills and responsible for the production of 30% of grape must for the production of Asti Martini, has already obtained the Equalitas certification, following an audit by the certification body Valoritalia. Of the remaining 70%, more than two-thirds of the must suppliers - cooperatives representing hundreds of small winegrowers - have also been certified sustainable by Equalitas while the remaining ones will be certified by 2021.
“Martini represents, since its foundation, one of the greatest Italian excellences. Already a pioneer of sustainability since the late 1980s, it has evolved to meet the growing and unceasing need for quality and safety that the wine sector demands. Choosing to obtain Equalitas certification represents a great gift from the multinational to the millions of consumers who choose it every day. Valoritalia can only be proud to have certified the constant commitment to the well-being of the territory and people that have made Martini a giant in the beverage sector and a reference model for companies worldwide”, commented the president of Valoritalia, Francesco Liantonio.
A historic commitment, that of Martini on the source of sustainability, so much so that already in 1987, when environmental impact was still little talked about, the Martini Observatory was born, a center dedicated to sustainable practices, which has introduced various practices with low environmental impact: from consulting on natural methods to manage pests to integrated viticulture, all with an eye always on the balance of what is cultivated in the microclimates of the Asti area. “There is a deep bond that unites Martina, the land and the people, which forms the foundation for producing a quality wine”, says Giorgio Castagnotti, director of the Martini Operations Center in Pessione (Turin). “We have worked closely with the winemaking communities that have been growing the best Moscato grapes in our beautiful hills for generations, and we want to continue to do so for generations to come. It has always been important to us to support winemakers through our sustainability initiatives as well”.
“This is a great achievement for Martini. Equalitas works only with third party auditors who have a deep knowledge of the wine industry and the certification process is completely holistic - says Stefano Stefanucci, Equalitas director - our company embraces three pillars of sustainability, environmental, ethical and economic, and considers every step: from the carbon footprint of a winery and its water consumption to fair trading conditions for farmers and good social practices including training and welfare models”.
“The choice of a company, a colossus of the sector such as Martini to join the Equalitas world is an important signal that confirms the great prospects for growth in achieving an increasingly widespread and shared sustainability”, added Riccardo Ricci Curbastro, president of Equalitas and Federdoc.
News that, by the way, comes just a few days after the agreement signed by Equalitas and Assobenefit, an association that brings together benefit societies, a legal form that is increasingly in vogue and spreading also in the world of wine (with realities such as Avignonesi, Feudi di San Gregorio and Perlage Winery, as already reported by WineNews, aimed at promoting the development in Italy of benefit and sustainable societies in the wine sector. Which will be the focus of the round table on July 27, online, which will be attended by MP Mauro del Barba (Italia Viva), president of Assobenefit, Michele Manelli, producer with the Salcheto winery, in Montepulciano, and vice-president of Equalitas, as well as Raul Caruso from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and director of Assobenefit, Mauro Vergari from Adiconsum and member of the Technical-Scientific Committee of Equalitas, and Antonio Capaldo, president of Feudi San Gregorio, the first Equalitas certified Benefit company.