Piper-Heidsieck’s Chief Winemaker Emilien Boutillat galvinised the team at Champagne house and brought it along with him on the road to achieve B-Corp certification which it has just been awarded with a score of 91.9 points.
Piper-Heidsieck CEO, Benoit Collard (pictured above with Boutillat) said, “This process began with an energetic spirit from our Chief Winemaker Emilien Boutillat, which propelled our entire team on a journey to work together towards a shared mission, and I am immensely proud to see this remarkable achievement brought to life. Becoming B Corp Certified marks a commemorative occasion in the history of Piper-Heidsieck, yet it also signifies that together, we are striving towards sustainable change and we hope to inspire others in the wine industry to implement similar initiatives.”
B Corp certification is given to businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental impact. The process to B-Corp certification is rigorous and businesses are not always successful in their efforts to be verified by B Lab.
“Achieving B Corp certification reflects our pioneering ethos and daring initiative to be a driving force of change within the Champagne industry. This certification not only recognises our environmental impact in the vineyards, but extends to our entire winemaking ecosystem, our community and our workplace,” said Collard.
The Champagne House set a number of targets including minimising carbon footprint by 46 per cent by 2030 and launching an energy saving program to use 40 per cent less energy by 2025, eliminating the use of fossil fuels in production activities
Weighing in at 835g, Piper-Heidsieck has had the lightest bottle on the market since 2010 and it has used 100 per cent renewable electricity since 2021.
The Piper Lab has implemented experiments in its vineyards to build the viticulture of tomorrow: cover crops, organic farming and agroforestry. It has planted 1000 trees and shrubs of local species and established eight beehives since to preserve and promote biodiversity.
Piper-Heidsieck has been certified by the VDC (Sustainable Viticulture in Champagne) and HVE 3 (High Environmental Value) since 2015.
The winery does not use herbicides, pesticides nor chemicals to treat rot, nor carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic materials for reproduction (CMR) to reduce health and environmental impact.
For Piper-Heidsieck, the B Corp certification represents a first milestone in the reinvention of the iconic Champagne House’s operations towards a positive and purpose-driven business model. The business also has a solid commitment to equity, inclusivity and diversity both internally and as part of its engagement with suppliers.
Piper-Heidsieck Chief Winemaker, Emilien Boutillat and CEO, Benoit Collard
