Climate change mitigation in the wine sector: sustainable practices in vineyard and winery
Description
The European wine sector is one of the sectors most affected by the threat of climate change, but also has great potential for major improvements in sustainability. However, mitigation measures are being taken too slowly in this sector. This is due to the scarcity of available information on industry-specific mitigation measures, as well as the lack of clear cost-effectiveness of some of them.
The CLIMAWIN project therefore addresses the problem of climate change by involving the wine sector in its mitigation. This is done by converting wineries and vineyards into a compendium of climate change mitigation actions, including emission reductions, carbon capture and use, sustainable land use in agriculture and forestry, and avoidance of fossil fuels and fluorinated gases. Thus, the main objective of the project is to demonstrate that wineries and vineyards can become a model of sustainability, encouraging them to adopt measures against climate change, including mitigation, adaptation and circular economy.
Specific objectives
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(1) Assess the impact of land use change (from traditional cereal monoculture to ecologically managed vineyards combined with forestry) on GHG mitigation potential.
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(2) Increase long-term organic carbon stocks in the soil, using it as a carbon sink: the project will contribute to reducing non-CO2 emissions from livestock manure and soil management, as well as CO2 emissions from pruning and burning of forest residues, by reusing vineyard prunings as biochar, to be incorporated into the soil in organic management practices (manure composting), thus improving nitrogen use efficiency.
Duration: 07/2023 – 12/2026
Programme: LIFE, Climate Action, Climate Change Mitigation
Financing body: LIFE Programme, CINEA
Total budget: 994,195€
EU Co-financing: 596,517€ (60%)
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(3) Introduce in the wine sector two innovative techniques to reduce emissions caused by cooling in wineries, avoiding CO2 purchase and the use of HFCs, based on the capture of the CO2 produced by alcoholic fermentation and its use for cooling, and the use of irrigation water to increase the efficiency of the heat pump to cool fermentation tanks and winery facilities.
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(4) Reduce emissions associated with energy use in the winery and vineyard by greatly increasing the renewable fraction of the energy consumed. To this end, a microgrid with an intelligent controller will be implemented. This device will be able to manage the energy used and produced in the winery facilities, thus reducing the use of fossil fuels.
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(5) Help winery managers identify the most effective and efficient mitigation measures in each case and promote their implementation by providing a comprehensive analysis and guidance to decision-makers.
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(6) Show the great potential of the wine sector to become a model in the fight against climate change, producing environmental and socio-economic benefits in rural areas, communicating and disseminating project activities and results.
All these actions will be carried out in the facilities of the Bosque de Matasnos Winery, located in the region of Burgos, Spain, in the area of the Ribera del Duero Designation of Origin. It has its own vineyards, some of which replace old unirrigated cereal fields. In addition, hectares of forest have also been replanted. Bosque de Matasnos viticulture is committed to restoring the former health of the land. It is based on criteria of sustainable agriculture and low environmental impact.
For these reasons, Bosque de Matasnos is the ideal setting to host the prototypes and demonstrative actions of the project, turning the winery into an example of a sustainable vineyard-winery ecosystem in the natural environment. In addition, the climate and characteristics of the site offer similarities with other important European wine regions, allowing the project to be replicated and scalable.
Members of the consortium
Coordinator
Image gallery
Descriptive video
Project updates
On November 20, 2025, the workshop organized by the project, entitled “An approach to regenerative viticulture,” was successfully held at the headquarters of the Segura Center for Soil Science and Applied Biology (CEBAS – CSIC) in Murcia.
More than 25 industry experts shared their experiences in projects and initiatives related to regenerative viticulture and the practices it encompasses: biochar application, cover crops, implementation of agrosystems that promote biodiversity, integrated vineyard management using digital platforms, the potential of the microbiome, etc. All of them with the same goal: to obtain vineyards that are more resistant to climate change.
A control panel has been designed and manufactured to migrate the smart controller currently installed in the microgrid to its own isolated ecosystem using a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) from the rest of the Bosque de Matasnos network. The new controller also offers a user-friendly visual interface (in addition to the one provided via IP within the local network). It also has the tools for managing the UPS and its communications.
Work is underway to expand the monitoring network to include a total of 10 additional network analyzers, allowing real-time integration of two other measuring devices used in the implementation of an efficient cooling system in the wine cellar. This will add the electrical parameters of all the buses, lines, and main loads of the electrical installation to those already available for generators, storage, and the headend. This will serve to collect relevant information and facilitate decision-making and optimization of the electrical microgrid control.
On July 8, an event was held in Bosque de Matasnos to inaugurate the demonstration prototypes of the LIFE CLIMAWIN project:
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Experiment on the production of biochar from forest residues and pruning waste and its application to soil mixed with compost.
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Improved cooling efficiency in wine cellars by using groundwater as a heat source
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CO2 capture and use for cooling
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Implementation of a microgrid with smart controller
Having completed 50% of the project tasks, the consortium members meet with the LIFE Program’s expert auditor in the Bosque de Matasnos area to explain the progress made:
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Biochar produced from pruning waste has improved compost quality, reducing nitrogen losses and improving carbon sequestration in the soil.
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The hybrid geothermal pump system, which uses underground reservoir water as a heat source, has achieved energy savings of 56% in cooling and 39% in heating compared to conventional systems.
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The smart microgrid installed at the complex has reduced the use of the diesel generator and cut emissions.
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Surveys have been conducted in the wine sector to analyze the barriers and drivers for the adoption of emission mitigation measures.
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The project and its progress have been communicated through various platforms (website, social media) and conferences (ICoWEFS, OIV).
LIFE CLIMAWIN was present at the 46th World Congress of Vine and Wine, organized by the OIV in Chisinau, Moldova. Cristina Escriche (INTERGIA) presented the paper “Smart microgrid: how to reduce costs and CO2 emissions in wineries and vineyards.” Nieves García (UNIZAR) presented the papers “LIFE CLIMAWIN: Impacts and opportunities in the transition to sustainable viticulture” and “Socioeconomic impacts of the LIFE CLIMAWIN project from the perspective of employees.”
As part of work package 4, “Implementation of sustainable energy management in vineyards and wineries,” the milestone of implementing and testing a microgrid that incorporates all electrical flows from Bosque de Matasnos’ activities has been completed. The microgrid includes: photovoltaic energy production, energy storage in batteries, energy production with a diesel generator, as well as all loads in the winery and vineyard (pumping for water extraction, pumping for irrigation, winery machinery, refrigeration, lighting, etc.).
The microgrid enables more efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective energy management by maximizing the renewable fraction and reducing the use of diesel generators, optimizing battery cycling, and managing deferrable loads.
The microgrid is managed by a smart controller, which performs optimization tasks using genetic algorithm techniques and predictive model control.
The presentation event of the LIFE CLIMAWIN project was held on 16 December, within the framework of the X Technical Conference on Sustainability of the D.O. Uclés, held in the Monastery of Uclés. More than a hundred professionals from the wine sector attended the event, both in person and online.
LIFE CLIMAWIN has been present at the 45th World Congress of Vine and Wine, organised by the OIV in Dijon, France. Cristina Escriche (INTERGIA) presented the paper ‘Wine production as a source of positive impacts on the semi-natural environment’.
Workshops
An approach to regenerative viticulture
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
