Source: Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Our Green Emblem is given in recognition of the most extraordinary cases of sustainable efforts in our wine industry. The distinction is awarded to producers/wineries that have achieved outstanding levels of sustainability. It is very rarely given out, and only after careful consideration of firsthand reviewer knowledge.
Once a winery is awarded this distinction, all of their wines will carry the Robert Parker Green Emblem symbol going forward, until changes at the winery may result in the distinction being rescinded.
Reviewers Commentary
Julia Kemper is a bit of a fanatic and all artisan. Her wines are released late and yet are reasonably priced too. And the quality is high. Her journey began in 2003 by taking charge of Quinta do Cruzeiro, part of the Melo family for centuries. As she puts it, “a Melo child, Julia Melo Kemper, started to discuss a new wine concept.”
Appalled at what she considered the toxic nature of the Quinta, she wanted to reconvert and restructure the Quinta out of “respect for people and for the planet Earth.” She consulted French specialists and launched a thorough study of the soils and climates of Quinta do Cruzeiro in order to accommodate the 21st-century bio concerns. Little touches were implemented at all levels, from compost piles to bird houses to wastewater management.
Her first harvest was in 2008. The entire production is certified organic. Her Quinta is also biodynamic but not certified as such. She was a follower of Rudolph Steiner for food even before coming to wine.
About the Producer
Julia Kemper’s vines are in the Dão region of Portugal, famed for Touriga Nacional, Encruzado, Alfrocheiro and Jaen. Julia Kemper began in 2003 by taking charge of Quinta do Cruzeiro, which had been in her family for centuries. Her first harvest was in 2008.
Sustainability and Wine
Wine is an agricultural product and sustainability is a hot topic nowadays. At its core, the movement addresses the needs of the current generation while being respectful of future generations. In other words, it aims to encompass a set of practices that are fundamentally practical while being mindfully maintainable over many years to come.
With more and more wine consumers actively seeking out wines that are sustainably produced, the team at Robert Parker Wine Advocate has added two sustainability filters/symbols to our database to help consumers identify producers that do their part for the environment.