There’s this point in every research project where you hit the extent of your own knowledge.

Sometimes, with simple topics, it comes late and you just need some context. At other times, the knowledge fence arrives fast and early.

When researching this Gourmet Traveller Wine feature article, the barrier hit quick. I’d bitten off more than I could chew, and fast.

But this was a satisfying realisation. For years, I’ve been wondering about the role of wine production in climate change. Good? Bad? Neutral? It’s a thought that nagged at me watching tractors buzzing up rows. Could wine be bad for the planet?

I wasn’t prepared for the answer. Or more correctly, I wasn’t prepared for how complex, if occasionally inspiring, the answer could be. From carbon sequestration to regenerative farming to vineyard cuttings as fuel. Mind. Blown.

Originally, I was just happy to be finally connecting the dots of my environmental science background and wine, the loose strings of my life coming together. But now? This isn’t just a topic for wine wankery self-congratulation, it could transform the future of vineyards.

Reading this article again and I’m not happy with it. There’s too much trailblazing left behind, too many topics rushed, lots of shitty Andrewisms that cloud the message. Yet at its core, this is a startling idea that needs more than just 2,050 odd words thrown at it.

Anyway, enough introspection, go read the feature online here (or buy the August/September 2020 Gourmet Traveller Wine in print for a more tactile version).