Today’s Monday Musing is about water and its use in the wine industry. Sustainability is a term on everyone’s lips these days and for the next few weeks both on this blog and on my podcast in my next series, I will be diving into these topics.

As any of the latest climate oriented issues show be it-fires burning in Canada and turning East Coast skies orange to Arctic Ice melting faster than expected, lakes coming back where they have disappeared because of drought in California, water and its impact on our lives is ever present.

Agriculture uses about 70% of the world’s water. The rest is split among many other usages. In the wine industry, water is often used to clean the premises as well as to sanitize, sterilize, and filter. Water can also be used in other preparations and if allowed, for irrigation. Much water is used to clean the equipment.

Many wineries have begun to pay attention to the use of water. Some have also begun to use wastewater in their fields if they have the right processes to clean the water.

Winery wastewater comes from all of the washing operations during harvest, pressing, and fermentation, as well as from washing equipment and bottles. What is in the wasterwater? A combination of inorganic salts, organic compounds, yeast, and bacteria.

I look forward to learning more about what producers are doing to limit their water use and to recycle water on their properties.