The award granted by the British magazine The Drinks Business is the most distinguished in the world and recognizes those companies that have a strong commitment to the environment.
London, March 2012. Sustainability and green consciousness are an ever-increasing reality in the world and in Chile. This time, Viña Emiliana was named the “Green Company of the Year” during the 2012 Green Awards competition organized by the prestigious English magazine The Drinks Business.
This is the highest category of these awards that cover the world’s wine and spirits industry. The award was granted to the company that best demonstrated its commitment to the environment, its employees, its community, and that has made consistent progress in its business practices to improve its carbon footprint.
Emiliana’s work toward becoming Chile’s only 100% organically managed producer of high quality wines—and one of the largest in the world—has included projects at all levels, from energy efficiency programs to Corporate Social Responsibility activities.
“When we began this project more than a decade ago we were innovators and visionaries, and today we realize that being 100% organic and sustainable from the social, environmental, and economic perspectives is possible. We are tremendously proud to obtain this award and it motivates us to continue working in the same direction,” said José Guilisasti, General Manager of Viña Emiliana.
In addition to this important award, Viña Emiliana also won the “Sustainability Award,” beating out companies from Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Portugal, and elsewhere. This award recognizes the winery’s efforts to achieve better and more efficient sustainable practices. The 2012 Green Awards ceremony took place on Monday, March 26 in the Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel in London. Emiliana’s Commercial Manager, Cristián Rodríguez, accepted the award on behalf of the company.
What began as a dream more than a decade ago is now embodied in a complete portfolio of high quality wines that have received important national and international awards; a winery that adapts to the changing needs of the world’s consumers.
About Viñedos Emiliana
Viñedos Emiliana began in 1998 as a program unique in Chile that included organic and biodynamic agriculture. Its 997 hectares of vineyards in the Casablanca, Maipo, Cachapoal, Colchagua, and Bío Bío Valleys are free of pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers. A total of 992 hectares are certified organic by the Swiss organization IMO, and 583 of those hectares are also certified biodynamic by Demeter (Germany).
Emilia was the first winery in Chile to receive the ISO 14,001 environmental management certification, and its Social Responsibility policies include the “For Life”, “Fair For Life,” and “Fair Trade” certifications. It also has its Carbon Neutral certification for its primary vineyard “Los Robles” in the Colchagua Valley, as well as five of its most renowned wines.
Emiliana sold 340,000 cases of premium organic wine in 2011, which places it among the largest organic wineries in the world. Emiliana wines are now sold in more than 50 countries.