Hallgarten & Novum Wines Reveals Updated Eco Standard
Hallgarten & Novum Wines, has today, on World Environment Day (Thursday 5th June 2025), published its updated edition of the Hallgarten Eco Standard; first released on World Environment Day 2023.
Now in its third year, the framework that creates the Standard has been scrutinised and tightened as the wine industry, and the world as a whole, demands stronger action on sustainability. As a result, the Standard has seen a decline (-26%) in the number of Gold Medal certified suppliers in the Hallgarten portfolio.
Developed to cover all aspects of sustainability associated with its supplier base, encompassing practices in the vineyard, the winery and in the overall management of the producer’s business, the Standard provides an in-depth look at the state of sustainability across the world in four key categories: Environment, Energy Management, Water & Waste Management and Social Responsibility.
Across the four pillars of sustainability, one wine producer achieved an average score of 95% and topped three of the four categories, earning Domaine Villa Noria from the Languedoc, France, the title of ‘Champion of Champions 2025’. In total, 177 medals were awarded across the Hallgarten portfolio, split across Gold (37), Silver (50) and Bronze (90) – a 6% increase in total medals vs 2024.
With the unwavering spotlight on carbon emissions, this year Hallgarten has emphasised the importance of glass bottle weight in the 2025 Eco Standard. The data shows that the average empty bottle weight across Hallgarten’s portfolio in 2025 is 487g; a 10% reduction in the past three years from 542g. This has been a particular focus for Hallgarten’s New Zealand producers, where average empty bottle weights have decreased by 19% to 446g.
There is also a general move towards incorporating more recycled materials into glass bottles amongst Hallgarten Wines’ supplier partners. The average amount of recycled glass used in 2025 (47% per glass bottle) is higher than the average recycled glass three years ago (40% per glass bottle). Leading this charge are Hallgarten’s Chilean producers who have on average doubled their use of recycled glass in bottles, from 23% to 47%.
Hallgarten Portfolio Director, Jim Wilson, commented: “We are extremely excited to unveil the third iteration of the Hallgarten Eco Standard, recognising our supplier partners for their sustainable successes in the vineyard and winery. To ensure we are staying on top of the game and reflecting the increased urgency of improving our environmental stewardship, this year we have tightened the parameters of the survey to suppliers and made it harder to achieve top marks, as a result this year we have seen fewer Gold medals across our supplier base but some incredibly strong, stand-out results across each of the four pillars of sustainability. The most impressive of all was our partners at Villa Noria who are pushing the boundaries each and every day in the pursuit of a more sustainable winemaking world.
“This year we have also acknowledged Campanian pioneers, Feudi di San Gregorio, for its project in Pompeii, dedicated to promoting and protecting the territory, terroir and its local communities. Following successive years featuring in the Eco Standard, achieving Trailblazer status in 2023, and Champion status in Water & Waste Management and Environment, this year they have continued to impress and once again stand out from the crowd.”
As part of its corporate social and environmental responsibility, Hallgarten Wines surveys its entire supplier base each year to create the Eco Standard and help the business define its own sustainability journey.
The overarching aim of the Eco Standard is to encourage sustainable practices from Hallgarten’s wine suppliers and to hold them fully accountable; to ensure the business has a credible third-party sustainable policy; and to provide a coherent communication tool, ensuring Hallgarten’s customers understand the sustainable practices of its suppliers. The Eco Standard complements any individual country's sustainable certification held by suppliers and takes into account appellation laws that inhibit suppliers from certain sustainable practices.
