French wine industry trials zero pesticide residue endorsement

he Nouveaux Champs collective, an association that has been rolling out the zero pesticide residue (ZRP) endorsement in France since 2018, is delighted with the continued progress of the trust mark within the wine industry. Eleven wine companies – co-operatives, independent wineries and trading companies – are currently members of the association, “equating to 89 producers”, says Julie Sabourin, technical and quality manager for the Nouveaux Champs collective. Seven of the companies marketed “white wines (dry and sweet), rosés and reds, with retail price tags ranging from €4 to €20 in supermarkets”, says Sabourin, compared with just four last year.

The endorsement was introduced in 2018 for fruit and vegetables, but it only took off for wines in 2020. “We only started to get significant volumes starting in 2021, with 320,000 bottles, mostly from two co-operative wineries – Buzet and Tutiac – whose wines were endorsed for the third consecutive year in 2022”, explains Sabourin. As defined by the objectives set by the association and its members, the endorsed wines were sold for 20% more than their conventional equivalents. “Across industries, the value of ZRP-endorsed products increased by 16% this year, but the wine industry is experiencing the highest growth rate. Producers are contacting us because of the higher price points leveraged by the endorsement”.