Hosted by Marta Mendonça - The Porto Protocol
Join us for a dynamic talk on decarbonizing wine packaging, featuring diverse perspectives from alternative packaging innovators, the glass industry, a reusable bottle scheme, and a retailer. This discussion brings together key stakeholders to explore real solutions and actions driving the wine industry toward a lower-carbon future.
Speakers
Madalena Moreira - Encirc (UK)
Katahrina Kleiner - Weincampus Neustadt (Germany)
Ciaram Dickson - Frugal Pack (UK)
Marcus Llhe - Systembolaget (Sweden)
Who’s who at the talk?
Marta Mendonça
With nearly two decades in Marketing & Sales, Marta Mendonça has worked across diverse industries, from telecommunications to wine & spirits. In 2016, she founded her own consultancy, promoting sustainability and climate advocacy. Since 2019, she has led The Porto Protocol Foundation, driving global collaboration on climate action in wine. She holds degrees in International Relations, Marketing, and Corporate Social Responsibility.
Madalena Moreira
A Portuguese oenologist with global experience, Madalena Moreira ensures wine quality at Encirc. Having worked in top wine regions worldwide, she specializes in sensory analysis and bottling precision. Passionate about sustainability, she strives to make the drinks industry more efficient and environmentally responsible.
Katahrina Kleiner
working with Marc Dressler at Weincampus Neustadt as a research assistant, before I worked in the wine industry with a Bachelor of Science in Viticulture and Enology and Master of Arts in International Wine Marketing.
Ciaram Dickson
Ciaran is the Commercial Manager for Machine Systems at Frugalpac, the company behind the innovative paper Frugal Bottle. He is responsible for overseeing the international sales of the Frugal Bottle Assembly Machine, supporting their mission to decarbonise the wine and spirits industry.
Marcus Llhe
Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from the early 1990´s, complemented by post studies in International Marketing and Trade. After university he has been working for various private and public organizations, with focus on sustainability from the start. Among other things he has been involved in research of substitutes to freons, ecolabelling, plastic collection and recycling, development of international sustainability standards like ISO 14001 and ISO 26000. At Systembolaget Marcus focuses on the environmental impact and performance in the supply chain, from the farm level to the shops.
Hosted by Fran Draper from Fran Draper Consultancy & Porto ProtocolThree winery owners and winemakers will share practical insights on how you intertwine sustainability & profitability, implement a holistic strategy across the business, and overall inspiration to other company leaders of every size.SpeakersAntonio Mendonça - Soalheiro (Portugal)Belinda Jackson - Lawson's Dry Hills (NZ)Miriam Mascarenhas - Herdade dos Grous - (Portugal)Wines to tasteSoalheiro Primeras Vinhas Alvarinho 2023Sauvignon Blanc - Lawson's Dry Hills (NZ)Herdade dos Grous Tinto 2023Who’s who in the talk?Fran DraperUK-based communications consultant specializing in PR, copywriting, and digital marketing. She supports charities, cultural organizations, and creative projects with strategic storytelling and media outreach. With a strong community-focused approach, she helps clients amplify their voice and impact. Fran brings clarity, creativity, and purpose to every communications project she undertakes.Antonio MendonçaBorn in Porto, António Mendonça is an agricultural engineer with extensive experience in the wine sector, from Port to Vinho Verde. Passionate about viticulture, he joined Soalheiro in 2024 and owns a small vineyard.Belinda JacksonBelinda’s passion for wine began in Bordeaux in the 1980s, leading to key sales and marketing roles in the UK and NZ. She has sourced wines globally, managed brands, and developed marketing strategies, also founding two major NZ wine competitions. A published author and former Radio NZ wine commentator, she joined Lawson’s Dry Hills in 2014.Miriam Mascarenhas: Graduated in Chemistry from the University of Évora. She joined the Herdade dos Grous team in 2011, where she currently works as Quality and Sustainability Manager. Being responsible for implementing the Quality and Environmental Management Systems, the Sustainable Production certification from the Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Program, the National Sustainable Wine growing certification and the ISO 14064 for carbon footprint and GHG emissions inventory.
In this episode, Adrian Bridge, CEO of The Fladgate Partnership, shares the story behind founding The Porto Protocol — the wine industry’s climate action network. From his non-traditional start in wine to leading global sustainability efforts, Adrian reflects on the initiative’s biggest successes, the power of collaboration, and the urgent priorities ahead. Recorded live at ProWein, this conversation dives into how businesses can engage with climate action, the challenges of keeping it top of mind, and the value of joining a network committed to change.About Adrian Bridge:Adrian is CEO of The Fladgate Partnership, which owns renowned Port houses like Taylor’s and Croft. A driving force behind wine tourism in Porto, he also spearheaded the creation of The Yeatman Hotel and the cultural district WOW – World of Wine.Prof. Dr. Simone Loose has led the Institute for Wine and Beverage Business at Geisenheim University since 2015. With a background in economics, she has conducted research in consumer behavior, wine marketing, and market research methods in Germany, Australia, and Denmark. She has held academic positions at the University of South Australia and Aarhus University and is an Adjunct Senior Research Associate at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute. A recognized expert, she has published extensively on wine and food marketing.
This was the first of a series of talks in partnership with Etienne Neethling that engage with leading scientists to explore cutting-edge research on wine, sustainability, and climate change. In this 1st edition, we’ll interview Stefano Poni, a renowned expert on sustainable viticulture from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Piacenza, Italy.
This climate talk is hosted in partnership with the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation (RVF) and is titled Natural Predators in Vineyards: From Bats to Insectivorous Birds of Prey, this session will explore how the remarkable biodiversity of vineyards can be harnessed to control pests naturally. From bats and rodent hunters to mealybug destroyers and insectivorous birds, we’ll dive into the vital roles these predators play in supporting ecosystem balance while reducing the need for chemical interventions. Together, we’ll uncover actionable insights on fostering biodiversity and creating healthier, more resilient vineyards. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how nature’s allies can transform vineyard management!
As vineyards face climate challenges and biodiversity loss, agroforestry offers a promising way forward—blending trees, shrubs, and diverse flora to enhance soil health, biodiversity, and resilience. Yet, there are no one-size-fits-all solutions, and much remains uncertain.
This second edition, in partnership with the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation, deepens the conversation, sharing insights, case studies, and ongoing learning in the journey toward climate-conscious, sustainable wine growing.
Panelists:
🍇 Anne Jones (Regenerative Viticulture Foundation)
🌿 Emmanuel Bourguignon (LAMS-21/France)
🌿 Katia Nussbaum (San polino/Italy)
🌿Olga Barbosa (Universidad Austral de Chile)
The water footprint (WF) of a product is an indicator of the consumptive use of water resources along its life cycle. Water scarcity is recognized to be a major global challenge. As such, the evaluation of the WF of agro-industrial products is key, as they are widely known as having a significant footprint on water resources.
According to the Water Footprint Network The global average water footprint of grapes is 610 liter/kg. One kilogram of grapes results in 0.7 liter of wine, so the water footprint of wine is APPROXIMATELY 870 liters of water per liter of wine. This means that one glass of wine (125 ml) costs 110 liters (a). Even knowing that the vine has a capacity for survival and resilience to austere climates, as we speak, the increased production of grapes and wine, combined with droughts and climate change, sore than ever, water needs to be used efficiently. Therefore, there is a need to understand where and how we can improve water management in the wine life cycle, reduce it, or even eliminate it.
THE DISCUSSION
This Climate Talk addresses this issue and tries to identify the major challenges to the use of water throughout grape and wine production in this warming climate. In this conversation, we will analyze the importance of efficient use of water and explore the best technologies and practices available both in the field and on the wineries. To do so, we will count on different guests from around the world.
GUESTS
Michele Manelli (Salcheto, Italy)
Andrej Razumovsky (Alpamanta, Argentina)
Aaron Schreiber-Stainthorp (Jackson Family Wines, USA)
HOST
João Barroso (WASP - Wines of Alentejo Sustainability Programme, Portugal)
Our first one-to-one Climate Talk will be a discussion between Greg Jones (Climatologist and CEO at Abacela) and Etienne Neethling (Head of the international master program in vine, wine, and terroir management at the Ecole Supérieure de L’Agriculture and an OIV expert within the ENVIRO group).
They will be exploring what wine regions are similar in its various dimensions, from soil to grape varieties.
DISCUSSION TOPICS
What is a climate analogue?
Which bioclimatic indices are specific to grape and wine production and how do we calculate them?
Which wine regions have similar climates?
Is climate change a major environmental challenge for the wine sector?
Can European wine regions draw on viticultural lessons from warmer and drier wine regions in countries like South Africa or Australia?
What are the opportunities and challenges for emerging cool wine production regions or regions?
Click HERE for the presentation
https://youtu.be/FsgmBONlkEU
Our partners at The Regenerative Viticulture Foundation challenged us to open our climate talks space for their trustee, Caine Thompson (O'Neill Vintners & Distillers). Caine will share in detail O’Neill’s transition toward regenerative organic practices and the findings from their three-year comparison studies. This is an unmissable presentation and discussion! GUESTS: Caine Thompson (Head of Sustainability, O’Neill Vintners & Distillers | Managing Director, Robert Hall Winery) Emmanuel Bourgignon (Porto Protocol Living Vineyards’ Leading Teams) Charlie Dubbe – Agrology HOST Anne Jones (Regenerative Viticulture Foundation)
We are thrilled to invite you to the official launch of the long-awaited Unpacking Wine Guide: A Practical Journey Through the Environmental Landscape of Packaging! The Unpacking Wine Guide is a game-changing resource designed to empower wine producers and professionals to make informed packaging decisions while minimizing environmental impact. To access the Guide: https://www.portoprotocol.com/product/unpacking-wine-guide/ What to expect: ✨ Keynote remarks from Jancis Robinson and Adrian Bridge – An exclusive presentation of the guide – Inspiring guest speakers sharing their packaging journeys and how this guide can drive change in the industry, namelly: GUEST: Valentina Lira (Concha Y Toro) Geraldine Dubois (La Tetue) Ana Bousquet (Domain Bousquet) Simon Mason (The Wine Society) Arthur Erdem (IPEF GmbH) Anne Bousquet (Domaine Bousquet) Moderation: Marta Mendonça (The Porto Protocol) Rita Gama Rocha (OMDesign) This event is not just a launch—it’s a celebration of innovation, collaboration, and the shared commitment to reimagining wine packaging with purpose. Be part of this moment!
Moderated by Jihany Brecci, founder of Stella Pietro Vineyards, this special research edition of the Climate Talks features Dr. Kees van Leeuwen, Professor and Researcher at Bordeaux University’s Institute of Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin (ISVV), Dr. Hervé Quénol, Geographer-Climatologist of France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Helena Ferreira Manuel, Head of Agriculture Management and Sustainability at Herdade dos Lagos. This was an extremely insightful talk, bridging research with wine producers. For Additional resources from this talk and on the topic: https://www.portoprotocol.com/solution/water-in-vineyards-research-edition/
As vineyards face climate challenges and biodiversity loss, agroforestry offers a promising way forward—blending trees, shrubs, and diverse flora to enhance soil health, biodiversity, and resilience. Yet, there are no one-size-fits-all solutions, and much remains uncertain.
This second edition, in partnership with the Regenerative Viticulture Foundation, deepens the conversation, sharing insights, case studies, and ongoing learning in the journey toward climate-conscious, sustainable wine growing.
January 16Th
🕔 5pm London | 🕕 6pm Paris | 🕘 9am California
Panelists:
🍇 Anne Jones (Regenerative Viticulture Foundation)
🌿 Emmanuel Bourguignon (LAMS-21/France)
🌿 Katia Nussbaum (San polino/Italy)
🌿Olga Barbosa (Universidad Austral de Chile)
This was the first of a series of talks in partnership with The Regenerative Viticulture Foundation! It focused on the topic of Agroforestry in Vineyards. In a nutshell: how to combine trees and vineyards to benefit soil health, ecosystems, and wine quality. As always, we’ve gathered a fantastic panel that bridges the Old World and New World of wine. Caro Feely will serve as our host and moderator, bringing her experience in fostering biodiversity at Chateau Feely, to guide the discussion and explore with our panelists how agroforestry can (or can’t) be applied in a vineyard context. Panelists: 🍇 Caro Feely (CHATEAU FEELY/France) – Host 🌿 Ted Lemon (Littorai Wines/USA) 🌿 Juliette Combe (Château Cheval Blanc /France) 🌿Alain Canet (BHBZ Agroforestry Strategy/France)
In this Climate Talk we will be decoding and exploring the concept of managing ecosystems, with vineyards at its core.
This also represented the launch of our project “Living Vineyards”
Cristina Crava (The Porto Protocol) will talk to Emmanuel Bourguignon (LAMS21), Nuno Gaspar de Oliveira (Natural Business Intelligence) and Tom Croghan (The Vineyards at Dodon, USA).
Within the New York Climate Week, Porto Protocol, in partnership with the New York Wine & Grape Foundation (Boldly NY), bring you various players and countries to discuss the topic: Saving Every Drop: Water Management and Conservation Strategies in Wine Production.
During this Climate Talk we will identify the major challenges in the use of water throughout the production cycle of grapes and wine in our warming climate. During this conversation, we will analyze the importance of efficient use of water and explore the best technologies and practices available in the vineyard and the winery.
Kenn Pogash (The Porto Protocol) will host the talk with Caro Feely (Chateau Feely), Sebastian Trámon (Emiliana Organic Vineyards), Robin Ross (Arrowhead Spring Vineyards).
Within the New York Climate Week , Porto Protocol, in partnership with the New York Wine & Grape Foundation (Boldly NY), bring you various stakeholders of the value chain to discuss the topic: Seeding the Future: Building Paths to Sustain Wine Legacy and Production for Future Generations.
In this Climate Talk we will debate the why and the how of internalizing climate change in wine businesses: Where do you start? How does this materialize into a balance sheet? What are the fundamental changes this decision will bring into the modus operandi of the business? What barriers may one encounter? What opportunities arise from it? What are the risks? How does it affect your relationship with your stakeholders, from employees to providers? How do you address it and communicate it? How do you pass it on to your consumers? We will seek to present practical approaches to these questions by players from the industry worldwide that have decided to address climate emergency in a proactive fashion, committed to build a path to sustain their wine legacy for generations to come.
Justin Jackson (Boldly NY) will host the talk with Adrian Bridge (The Fladgate Partnership), Cecilia Pasqua (Pasqua Wines), Shannon Brock (Silver Thread).
This discussion will explore regenerative viticulture’s impact on water conservation in this engaging webinar. Learn from experts as they share strategies for saving water in vineyards. Discover innovative approaches that promote sustainable water management while maintaining wine quality. This webinar inspires vineyard owners, winemakers, and enthusiasts to embrace regenerative viticulture for a sustainable future, preserving water resources and ensuring the wine industry’s longevity.
Jessica Villat will host the talk with Elizabeth Whitlow (Regenerative Organic Alliance), Mimi Casteel (Regenerative Viticulture Foundation) and Francisco Font (Associación de Viticultura Regenerativa).
This Climate Talk is a Business Edition, in which we explore how sustainability and profitability can go hand in hand, through the voices and best practices of different representatives of the wine trade, such as importers, distributors, retailers and traders.
Steven Campbell (from Campbell Kind Wines), Melissa Monti Saunders, Master of Wine (from Communal Brands) and Dom de Ville (from The Wine Society) talk about embracing Sustainability, social impact, packaging, and the benefits in the long term.
More information here
Also available on YouTube
Dans le contexte du changement climatique, les cépages jouent un rôle important dans les solutions adaptation. Sachant que selon l’OIV, il existe 6000 cépages et que 13 d’entre eux couvrent le tiers des vignobles, est-il nécessaire de considérer les hybrides? Alors que certains ont la certitude que les hybrides vont jouer un rôle positif dans le futur, d’autres prônent l’exploration des cépages existants et de leurs clones ainsi que des recherches plus avancées sur les porte-greffe. INVITÉE Michelle Boufard - Tasting Climate Change - Canada Lilian Bérillon - Pepiniere Berillon - France Yiannis Paraskevopoulos - Gaia Wines - Greece Michael Marler - Vignobles Pervenches - Canada
This Climate Talk was hosted by Mimi Casteel from Hope Well Wine with Claudia Kammann from Hochschule Geisenheim University, Hans-Peter Schmidt from Ithaka Institute and Antoine Lespès from Domaine LAFAGE as guest speakers.
In the ever-expanding ocean of sustainability technologies, you have undoubtedly heard the term biochar. Once relegated to fringe-conversations, biochar has now gained a strong foothold in mainstream academic and applied research, and its use is being studied for everything from climate change mitigation to restoration of soil carbon stores, recovery of soil structure, nutrient cycles and function, soil remediation and detoxification applications, bioenergy production, and more.
Biochar is a specific form of charcoal produced through pyrolysis, which is the conversion of organic materials (biomass) under very high temperatures (greater than 500*C) to black carbon in the absence of oxygen. This form of Carbon is incredibly durable and resistant to decomposition that it can be a long-term storage form of Carbon in soils. The production techniques used in making biochar are commensurate with its potential benefits, and anyone considering biochar should become fluent in the best practices for its production. However, given the almost unfathomable sources of feedstocks, from animal manures to thinning of forest biomes for fire mitigation, to crop residues, biochar is a very exciting topic and its potential benefits in the climate crisis are myriad.
For farmers and land managers, biochar is exciting for a number of reasons, which we will get into deeply today. Its alkalinity can naturally lower acidic soil pH, can help hold soluble positively charged cations like Calcium and Potassium, it can decrease soil bulk density in compacted soils, increase aggregation, aeration, reduce leaching, bind and sequester toxins, and perhaps most importantly (at least to me), biochar has an unparalleled potential in the campaign to rehydrate soils most at risk for desertification. I’ve seen this benefit myself, and I am really looking forward to exploring all of these topics with our panel of experts.
