After the COVID-19 pandemic hindered supply chains across all major industries, winemakers in Oregon began questioning where in fact the bottles for their product were being shipped from. One Willamette Valley winery, Bryn Mawr Vineyards, uncovered that its tin capsules for bottles were being shipped from a manufacturer in Canada, sent to Europe to be embossed, then sent back to the United States for final production. This one winery reduced its carbon footprint by switching from tin capsules to a blended wax seal for its bottles, just a small fraction of the emissions of environmental harm caused by the international wine industry.

From the tin capsules to where the glass bottle is formed, to what paper the label is made out of, the wine industry has room to grow to show commitment to the environment. Sustainability is an ongoing hot topic within all industries. Like never before, consumers are paying attention and asking questions. We are holding companies and big corporations accountable for everything, from the sourcing of their products to fair pay for employees.

Maybe it isn’t just customers who should be asking questions. If the owner of a vineyard isn’t familiar with the source of an essential part for her product, there must be something we all should be questioning.