The South African wine industry has led the way in embracing farming in a more sustainable eco-friendly way.
The winners of the Nedbank Green Wine Awards were announced at a lunch on October 16, 2014 at Myoga restaurant, run by well-known executive chef Mike Bassett.
Sixteen top achievers were announced at this function (* see list below). Reyneke Chenin Blanc 2013 took top honours in the Best Wine Overall in the Made from Organically Grown Grapes category (the wine was also the Organic Best White Wine).
Hermanuspietersfontein Die Bartho 2012 scooped the Best Biodiversity and Wine Initiative Wine Overall (the wine was also the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative Best White Wine). La Motte was named the Best Farming Practices Overall Winner and Vondeling was named the runner-up.
“Since the inception of these awards, our primary objective has been to recognise and reward those wine producers in our country that put the well-being of the environment, the planet, and its people first,” said Sydney Mbhele, Divisional Executive for Integrated Marketing at Nedbank.
“We therefore applaud each and every entry received in this year’s Green Wine Awards.While only one winner could be selected today, we appreciate all of the efforts that have been undertaken by local winemakers and their investment in sustainable business practices so that the green wines of today can be enjoyed by the generations of tomorrow.”
The Green Wines competition is divided into two categories: wines made by certified organic producers and wines from Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI) member farms.
BWI member farms with Champion status were also able to enter the Best Farming Practice category, which acknowledges a farm’s effort at operating in a green manner.
Perhaps the best summation of this year’s competition came from François Rautenbach, who said, ‘Overall, the organic category looks much better than ever before! It’s as though there’s been an appreciable move towards commercialisation and upping quality.’
Entry numbers have increased (in 2014 there were 49 Organic entries and 104 BWI entries) and judges said quality has improved.
The Best Farming Practices category of the Nedbank Green Wine Awards encourages innovative solutions to environmental challenges, with the leaders inspiring farmers to tread more lightly while maintaining sound economic principles.
The judging panel included Duimpie Bayly, honorary life president of the South African Society of Enology and Viticulture, Daniël Schietekat of the Integrated Production of Wine, Anel Blignaut, who has been involved in various aspects of environmental management in the agricultural industry and runs a consulting company, and Natalie Ritsch, an environmental consultant who is currently a project manager at Strategic Environmental Focus.
As always, qualifying wines will display their Green credentials on bottle stickers, and this year Checkers will provide branded displays of the top-scoring wines at 28 of their selected stores, making it easier to identify the winners.
The full results and a competition overview are available in South Africa’s Green Wine Guide 2014, bagged with the November issue of Getaway, which is on sale from 20 October.
Results are also available at greenwineawards.com.
Wine enthusiasts will be able to sample the winning wines from the 2014 Nedbank Green Wine Awards in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban in November.
@GreenWineAwards More information on these tasting events can be found at greenwineawards.com/tasting-events.
Twitter: @GreenWineAwards
#NedbankGreenWine
Winning Wines
Best wines made from Organically Grown Grapes
Best Wine Overall – Reyneke Chenin Blanc 2013
Best Red – Waverley Hills CW Reserve Shiraz 2011
Best White – Reyneke Chenin Blanc 2013
Bloggers’ Choice – Waverley Hills Shiraz/Mourvedre/Viognier 2011
Best Value – Nederburg Earthbound Chenin Blanc 2014
Best Biodiversity and Wine Initiative Wines
Best Wine Overall – Hermanuspietersfontein Die Bartho 2012
Best Red – Cederberg Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Best White – Hermanuspietersfontein Die Bartho 2012
Bloggers’ Choice – Neethlingshof The Maria 2014
Best Value – Jordan Chameleon Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay 2013
Best Farming Practises Winners
Overall Winner – La Motte
Runner-up – Vondeling
Best Contribution to Conservation – Paul Cluver
Best Contribution to Farming Practices and Production Integrity – Bartinney
Best (Sustainable) Contribution to Tourism – La Motte
Best Contribution to Community Development – La Motte
@GreenWineAwards