Life cycle environmental impacts of wine production and consumption in Nova Scotia, Canada

Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to quantify environmental impacts and improvement options for the full life cycle of one 750 ml bottle of wine produced and consumed in Nova Scotia, Canada. Results indicate that viticulture and consumer transport contribute the greatest portion of wine’s total impacts. Within the vineyard, nutrient management offers the greatest potential for improvement. Modeled scenarios indicate that high-yielding organic viticulture could marginally improve most measured impacts, but the provision of lighter bottles could yield even greater benefits. Scenarios in which transport modes and distances to market were varied provide strong evidence that the mode by which wine is transported is equally important to the distance that it travels.