The movie-length documentary is visually gorgeous, but additionally devastating. The ghastliest half? The dramatic footage and earsplitting sounds of backside trawling – heavy nets and large steel chains dragged throughout huge swathes of the seabed, catching all the things of their path and probably closely damaging the seafloor. As much as three-quarters of what’s caught could also be discarded.
The movie’s message is evident: via harmful overfishing, air pollution, ocean warming and the related mass coral bleaching, and acidification, Attenborough says: ‘We’re draining the life from our ocean.’ And but, together with his signature glimmer of hope, we’re advised that if given time to relaxation and rebuild, the ocean can get better quicker than we ever thought doable.
The well being of the ocean won’t initially seem to be a wine lover’s direct concern, however as Attenborough says, the ocean is our planet’s life-support system, serving to to control the local weather, absorbing carbon dioxide, producing oxygen and storing and transporting warmth. ‘Oceans are our biggest ally towards local weather disaster,’ he concludes – and thus a quiet ally to winemakers and wine lovers alike.
Leaving the cinema in a ‘what can I do?!’ funk, I bought to excited about how we as customers can use our buying energy to make a distinction. Basic change will solely come from selections made on the worldwide stage – equivalent to on the UN Ocean Convention in June, the place nations are being requested to ratify the Excessive Seas Treaty, which goals to guard 30% of the ocean by 2030 – however small aware selections on our half can nonetheless make a distinction.
And an growing variety of manufacturers are making that simpler for wine lovers by aligning with ocean charities. UK-based producer Sea Change Wines, for instance, donates €0.25 from each 75cl bottle bought to teams working to avoid wasting the oceans. Because it launched in 2018, it has raised greater than €600,000 for its companions, together with international charity Ocean Era.
Languedoc producer Gérard Bertrand not too long ago mixed the revealing of the primary classic of his new cuvée La Grande Bleue with the announcement of a partnership with the charity Oceana. Though the corporate doesn’t say precisely how a lot is raised from every bottle bought, ‘it makes [financial] donations to help varied [Oceana] campaigns for the prevention, preservation and regeneration of marine ecosystems’.
Bordeaux cooperative Tutiac is working with NGO Zero Plastic Ocean and closure maker Vinventions to create corks which can be produced from nearly 70% ocean-bound plastic (outlined broadly as ‘deserted plastic waste’ that’s liable to ending up within the ocean). Thus far, some 200,000 bottles of Tutiac wine have been fitted with Assist Defend The Ocean corks.
Even grocery store chain Aldi has entered the area. In January, its UK operation launched an own-label wine made by Australian producer the Hidden Sea, which funds large-scale ocean plastic clean-ups by Danish firm Resea Undertaking.
Sip to make a distinction
Gérard Bertrand, La Grande Bleue, Méditerranée, Languedoc, France 2024
Rating: 90
Drink 2025-2027 Alc 13%
Sea Change, Natural Picpoul de Pinet, Languedoc, France 2023
Rating: 88
£14.35 Abel & Cole, TB Watson
Drink 2025-2026 Alc 13%
Two wines this month that simply occur to be from Languedoc’s Mediterranean coast: Gérard Bertrand’s new cuvée, which is vibrant as a button, bringing collectively Rolle, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay and Sauvignon with a number of fragrant enchantment, waves of flavour and a torrent of salty citrus; and a Picpoul that leans into its fleshy, ripe aspect, reminding me of sticky pineapple and honeydew melon with a burst of citrus on the finish.
