From pruned wood to grape pomace, waste from vineyards and wineries is being turned into power, plant-based leather and natural protection solutions, to name a few. This circular revolution is enabling the industry to reduce its carbon footprint whilst also supplying bio-based raw materials to other sectors.
Contents:
- Regulatory milestones
- Soil salvation
- Where wood meets biological control
- From grape pomace to high-performance materials
- A narrative rooted in the vine
Regulatory milestones
Vine canes, pomace and lees were long regarded as waste products that were difficult to dispose of. Increasingly, however, vine and wine by-products are being recognised as a strategic source of biomass whose recovery and reuse are now being examined from environmental, agricultural and economic perspectives alike. Since a 2011 memorandum establishing guidelines for the open burning of green waste, winegrowers have been encouraged to explore more sustainable alternatives. A 2014 decree further expedited the shift by easing the requirement to send pomace and lees exclusively to distilleries, paving the way for composting, anaerobic digestion and vineyard spraying. To fully harness this potential, however, resources had to be located. “In 2016, a national programme coordinated by the French Vine & Wine Institute IFV mapped available resources and recovery facilities in four major wine regions” explains Émilie Adoir, Environmental Assessment Project Manager at IFV. The project initially covered Bordeaux-Aquitaine, Burgundy-Beaujolais-Savoy-Jura, Charente-Cognac and Champagne, and has since been extended to South-West France, Languedoc-Roussillon and the Loire Valley. Today, it provides a clearer picture of the innovative pathways emerging for the reuse of vine and wine by-products.
Soil salvation
One promising avenue being explored takes researchers to the very heart of vineyard soils. IFV is exploring the potential of biochar – a plant-based charcoal produced through the pyrolysis of distilled pomace, which can help improve water retention. An experimental programme is scheduled to run from 2026 to 2029, funded under the National Vine Die-Back Plan. “The initial idea is to return to the soil what it produces, by harnessing free resources”, adds Adoir, who also highlights compost made from pomace or vine canes as natural alternatives to chemical fertilisers. Along similar lines, the multi-stakeholder project Valoceps, launched in March in the Loire Valley, focuses on uprooted vines. The aim between now and 2028 is to organise the collection of this substantial resource – estimated at 9,700 tonnes of dry matter annually in the Loire region – so that it can be channelled towards recovery pathways such as energy production via pyrogasification and the extraction of polyphenols for use in cosmetics and pharmaceutical applications.
Where wood meets biological control
In Meursault, Vitis Valorem has already made the recycling of pruning wood its core business. To prevent wastage of nearly “two tonnes of dry material per hectare” generated across the vineyards of France – much of which is still burnt – the company produces Sarmine®, a micronised flour derived from vine canes that can replace certain plastic components and composite materials. Rather than simply returning to vineyards in the form of trellising posts or biodegradable stakes, this material also opens up applications in the automotive, construction and packaging sectors. Plant protection products are also benefiting from this momentum in research and development. Antoférine is a biological control fungicide developed by partners Antofénol and Gowan. It uses an innovative eco-extraction process to isolate natural defence molecules in vine canes, helping reduce reliance on synthetic inputs in the fight against downy mildew.
From grape pomace to high-performance materials
The circular economy is also extending into the luxury goods sector. Nisiar, a patented material produced from distilled pomace, is the brainchild of Mondin, a start-up company jointly founded near Bayonne by Rodolphe Mondin and Julien Houssiaux. “In France, where over 850,000 tonnes of grape pomace are collected in some years, the wine industry already benefits from established recovery infrastructures. Unlike other emerging bio-materials, there was no need to build a collection network from the ground up”, explains Rodolphe Mondin. The process forms part of a dual recovery approach: “Distilleries first extract alcohol and other compounds, after which we use the remaining residue by adding natural treatments before converting it into powder”. When combined with a bio-polymer, the pomace is transformed into a mono-layer material composed of 73% of plant-based content, with no textile reinforcements or synthetic pigments. Unlike alternatives made from cactus or pineapple fibres – which are closer to leather substitutes – Nisiar offers mechanical properties comparable to leather. It is supple, thermoformable and resistant to water and abrasion. Its intended applications include small leather goods, luxury packaging and watchmaking.
A narrative rooted in the vine
For Rodolphe Mondin, these developments also carry a strong storytelling dimension. “For some projects, we ensure traceability of the pomace right back to the wine estate, allowing winegrowers to highlight how their by-products are being reused”. Each grape variety captures the essence of its terroir, further enriching the narrative. “Shades vary slightly depending on the grape varieties. The manufacturing process also releases a natural aroma, creating a distinctive signature”. For larger estates, there may also be opportunities to reuse their own pomace to design gift boxes or accessories, creating a local eco-design loop. Ultimately, Mondin aims to push the boundaries even farther and “design a material made entirely from vineyard by-products”. By combining high-tech innovation with a return to vineyard-based resources, the French wine industry and its stakeholders are demonstrating that their future also lies in their ability to transform waste into opportunity.
Florence Jaroniak, © Nisiar/Mondin.