Argentine winery hopes to raise global consciousness and inspire action
Mendoza, Argentina – May 27, 2021 – TILIA, a range of sustainable Argentine wines, presents the first wine label to illustrate its path toward sustainability. The new design will be introduced into the US market in July via Winebow Imports.
Sustainability has always been at the core of TILIA’s winemaking through its dedicated practices across its vineyards, the winery, and the local community. Sustainable Living is not only TILIA’s mission, but also an invitation to learn more about how we can all protect our ecosystems, care for our people, and maintain traditions throughout the world. TILIA Wines are a testament to the fact that sustainability is not a fad, but a genuine way of life.
TILIA was the first wine brand to carry the Bodegas de Argentina (BdA) official certification of sustainability seal on its label for its compliance to Argentina’s Sustainability Protocol.
TILIA Wines are made in Junín, Argentina by Winemaker Gonzalo Llensa, whose love for the vineyards was engrained in his youth, as he cultivated crops in his grandmother’s orchard and learned the importance of resourcefulness from his father, a local electrician. Gonzalo is accompanied by Sustainability Specialist, Guillermina Van Houten, the granddaughter of Dutch immigrants whose family practices the utmost respect for nature. Together, they honor deep-rooted Argentine farming traditions and protect the natural ecosystems that thrive in the dry sunny weather in Mendoza, by the Andes mountains.
It is with this same passion that Van Houten cares for the vineyards, studies the ecosystem, and shares her learnings beyond the local community. She reflects, “We the people are part of the ecosystem, and we are committed to preserving our nature and our traditions for the generations to come. Through this new label, which visually represents all the work that we do toward sustainability, we hope to inspire action, helping people all over the world to better understand sustainable practices and to adopt them in their own lives.”
The TILIA range consists of Malbec, Malbec-Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Bonarda, Chardonnay, and Torrontés – all 2020 vintage – with grapes sourced from the Eastern region of Mendoza, the Uco Valley region, and the Central region of Mendoza.
Each symbol on the new TILIA label represents one aspect of its sustainability commitment.
- Social Sustainability – Provide educational and social programs for the local community to thrive.
- Deeply Rooted – Uphold ancestral irrigation traditions to preserve water as a precious resource.
- Thriving on Biodiversity – Respect ecosystems so vineyards can adapt to the changing environment.
- Natural Resilience – Maintain traditional farming to sustain the land for generations to come.
- Stronger Together – Affirm core values: honor tradition, support the community, and respect nature.
At the core of TILIA’s ethos is its dedication to the community and ensuring that the people who enrich the land prosper. TILIA offers the children of harvest workers summer school programs that include sports and artistic activities. This benefit has enabled 20% more women to work during harvest. The winery collaborates closely with a local high school to encourage students to consider viticulture as a viable career option, helping to stem the exodus of potential local workers to the cities by offering secure, well-paying jobs close to home.
With respect to environmental preservation, interventions are kept to a minimum to encourage biodiversity. Mendoza’s dry climate facilitates low-intervention farming, while traditional irrigation systems access pure Andean spring water through ancestral canals developed by the Huarpe native people hundreds of years ago; this strict system of drip irrigation maximizes water efficiency. Knowledge of the local terroir and respect for the natural ecosystem of insects, plants, and animals generate resilient vineyards that are not reliant on interventions to maintain their productivity. TILIA vines are ungrafted, which many suggest are more intense and flavorful, with better aging potential.
The new label and packaging were designed by Stranger & Stranger. The suggested retail price for all TILIA wines is $11.
ABOUT TILIA WINES
With the first wine label to illustrate a winery’s path towards sustainability, TILIA Wines seeks to inspire and create action around sustainable farming in Argentina and around the world. “Tilia” is the name of the Linden tree, whose leaves make a calming herbal tea. The Linden tree represents the spiritual side of life in rural Mendoza, where sustainable living is everyday living: the pace is slow, vineyard workers bike to work, and families grow their own fruits and vegetables. In 2010, TILIA became the first winery to carry the Bodegas de Argentina (BdA) official certification of sustainability seal (Argentina’s first sustainability certification) and today, many wineries in the region have joined the movement. Will you? For more information, please visit www.TiliaWines.com.
ABOUT WINEBOW IMPORTS
Winebow Imports has been an industry leader for over 40 years, representing some of the most esteemed properties from both prominent and emerging growing areas around the world. A national importer known for cultivating lasting relationships with extraordinary wine families who are dedicated to their unique regions, Winebow Imports continues to balance its impressive growth with a culture of specialization and excellence. For more information, please go to www.winebow.com/imports.
