Cultivating a territory doesn’t mean exploiting it but preserving its vitality. This involves not just sustainable farming practices but also concrete actions to protect a land that is both a heritage and a shared resource.
Michele Chiarlo has chosen an approach of integrated sustainability, care for the environment and the productive context which reverberates across each choice made by the winery for the purpose of safeguarding a landscape which is the basis of the quality of its own wines. We have put in place, and are implementing ethical actions and practices, to improve the sustainability of the whole supply chain and increase the sensitivity of the end consumer by taking care of the landscape as a common good.
From management of the vineyards to the winery, from the attention given to the materials used to renewable energies, our objective is lightness: a sustainable Chiarlo Galaxy which can be monitored, where the environmental impact from the vine to the consumer table is gradually and continually reduced in favour of an ever more authentic expression and in balance with nature.
“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
This was the definition of sustainable development in the 1987 document entitled “Our Common Future”, also known as the “Brundtland Report”, after the coordinator of the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED).
From this initial and mainly ecological definition, the concept of sustainability has been articulated in various areas involving development, stirring up a significant international debate.
Sustainability is not a static and unchanging concept but a continuous process that must necessarily integrate the three fundamental components of development: Environmental, Economic and Social. These are the same foundations of the Equalitas standard, which incorporates the 3 pillars of sustainability in its approach:
For each of these pillars there are objective and verifiable requirements through the definition of good practices along the entire supply chain and indicators.
These environmental indicators (water footprint, carbon footprint and biodiversity) are used to verify the impact that the good practices envisaged by the Equalitas standard have with regards to sustainability; the main aim is therefore not to put companies and/or products in competition but to give companies useful parameters to monitor their own realities and define ambitions for improvement.
The company’s objectives are:
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Operational since 2016, the SQNPI ensures that participating companies apply agronomic solutions and strategies for crop protection and weed control, aiming to minimize impact on humans and the environment while achieving economically sustainable production. Created to promote and enhance Italian products, it stands for environmental protection, landscape preservation, animal welfare, and consumer health.
The SQNPI label serves as a true standard of quality and sustainability, guiding agricultural businesses towards responsible growth and providing a guarantee for consumers.
Reduce the weight of glass bottles to reduce the emission of CO2. The weight of the bottle does not impact on the quality of the wine, in any way, but does increase the environmental footprint of a winery considerably. Michele Chiarlo has decided to adopt lightweight glass, making it possible to optimise transportation, over long distances above all, and significantly reduces the emission of greenhouse gases.
Recyclable and reusable, with low environmental impact, lightweight: cardboard ensures maximum protection of the product on a par with traditional wooden crates, but allows for considerable savings on resources. Michele Chiarlo has chosen to use innovative packaging that is more practical to handle and transport – it’s a sign of a new way of understanding and designing the viticultural chain.
In 2024, we installed a solar photovoltaic system on the winery roof, blending seamlessly with the surrounding landscape. This 268KWp solar panel system allows for the self-production of clean energy and reduces fossil fuel energy usage by 50%.
Since 2016, Michele Chiarlo’s production facilities have undergone a significant green transformation. The winery facade is now covered in greenery to improve energy efficiency and reduce landscape impact. Vertical gardens purify and filter air through photosynthesis, protect structures from sun and rain, extend the building’s lifespan, and promote biodiversity. The new green cover creates a natural filter between the interior and exterior, reducing energy costs and overall emissions.
In our winery, innovation is right at home, not only in the vineyards. At Palás Cerequio, Michele Chiarlo has installed a free recharging station of the Tesla network, the American car manufacturer which, for years, has been involved in the production of an electrical and sustainable means of transportation. It is the first Tesla Destination Charging point in Langhe, Roero and Monferrato: with just a few hours charging time, it can provide hundreds of kilometres of autonomy. Also at Palás Cerequio, electric E-Bikes and pedal assisted bicycles are available for guests.
Sustainability is beauty. Michele Chiarlo has decided to improve his vineyards through actions aimed at reducing the interventions of man on the landscape. At our own expense, we have buried the electrical cables at the La Court estate, and replaced the cement poles with wood poles: an act of love and profound respect for the heart of our production of Barbera d’Asti. In all the other land parcels, a progressive abandonment of cement in favour of corten steel palisades is underway, reducing their visual impact and helping to protect the aesthetic horizon of the hills designated World Heritage Sites.
