Buying food and wine used to be a price issue. With the advent of consumer choice, it became a quality issue and now, in the new millennium, it is also an ethical issue as well. Increasingly we are demanding to know where our wines come from, are the wineries farming responsibly, are they harming the earth for our children, what have they put in the wines themselves and is there a degree of care for the community involved in their products? With these thoughts in mind, I wandered amongst the shelves of Pick n Pay in Constantia and have chosen 7 wines which I think we can drink and feel really good about ourselves and our choices.
Prices correct as of 12th May 2010. Not all wines will be available at every Pick n Pay.
NV Stellar Winery ‘Live-a-Little’ Wildly Wicked White R27.95
A fun and fruity little number made from mainly Chenin Blanc with some Sauvignon Blanc. A certified organic wine made by a company with strong Fairtrade credentials as well – a double whammy of feel-good-ness!
2009 Cape Point Vineyards ‘Splattered Toad’ Sauvignon Blanc R39.95
Buying this crisp, fresh easy-drinking Sauvignon from über-Sauvignon specialists, Cape Point Vineyards, supports the work of the Western Leopard Toad Conservation Committee and will hopefully help to stop the splattering in future!
2008 Reyneke Sauvignon Blanc R82.99
South Africa’s leading biodynamic wine producer utilising ancient methods of enriching and preserving the soils for future generations. Sounds a bit strange (burying cow horns is just one aspect of biodynamism!) but results in a delicious wine with incredible depth of flavour. Also available at PnP is their red blend, Cornerstone.
2007 Cloof ‘The Inkspot’ Vin Noir R45.99
Cloof Wine Estate is a Biodiversity in Wine Initiative Champion which means that they are making huge efforts to preserve the indigenous plants and wildlife on their farm and have committed to making wine in a sustainable manner. This wine is a yummy blend of Pinotage and Shiraz and comes at a fab price as well.
2007 Sonop Organic Pinotage R45.99
BWI member, Fairtrade AND Organic – does it get any better than this?! Well yes it does because this is a juicy, fruity wine with soft tannins and an easy finish. And it’s a good price into the bargain.
2007 Backsberg Merlot R72.95
Another BWI Champion, Backsberg was also the first winery in SA to become Carbon Neutral – one of very few in the world. Some of their efforts to tread lightly on this earth include planting trees and recycling old barrels as furniture. This Merlot is a fruit-packed winner with dark fruit and chocolate and a herby tail.
2006 Org du Rac Shiraz R65.95
A certified organic estate in the Swartland – that hotbed of top Shiraz. Winemaker Albé Truter uses organically-rich worm composts and fish-emulsions to enrich his vineyards producing this spicy wine with a savoury, earthy finish.
What ‘feel-good’ wines are in your local supermarket? Tell us below, so we can all save the planet with our weekly grocery shopping!