I just watched a clip on YouTube, and at time-code 2:43 beyond the gruesome attack on the elephant, a line from David Attenborough sent chills down my spine ‘Elephants know these drinking holes are dangerous, but they have no choice. The dramas that play out here are a savage reminder of how important water is.’ Having just read Collapse by Jared Diamond for a second time, I have the environment at the front of my mind. His chapter on Rwanda made me think about the impact of shortages on human society, and watching that You Tube clip in particular evoked all the images of the grim situation in and around the western border of Sudan.

As Friedman points out quite regularly, we are inescapably connected to the rest of the world, no matter what we may think. As soon as a company starts a website or begins exporting, they’ve gone global. One thing that Friedmans’ ‘electronic herd’ is beginning to flock to is sustainable resources in every shape and form. The wine industry has been a little slow on this, and I must commend pioneers like Fetzer, who have announced the first solar-powered vineyard. My first prize however goes to my own countrymen, who have long championed bio-diversity on a grand scale with an ever increasing membership through their Biodiversity and Wine Initiative.

As eco-consciousness and eco-tourism begin to flourish, it would be a welcome change to see the market reward the producers who have gone done so much to adapt their farming methods to modern standards so as to promote the future of our planet. It’s just a pity that most of them haven’t found a better way to communicate their message to the public, and to create awareness. The time will come when eco-wines wont just be a novelty, and such practices compulsory. However its up to us as the consumers to lead the charge.