Knowing
what a long hard path you have to take to become classified as Organic or IPW (Integrated
Production of Wine) in the wine industry, your respect should soar for those
farms who achieve it. This achievement is lauded and celebrated every year with
these Green Wine Awards now in their 8th year, held this year at Rozendal in
Stellenbosh. 120 wines were entered in the two categories: Best wines made from
Organically Grown Grapes and Best Wines from Integrated Production of Wine. Judges
in the Best Farming Practices category looked at not only what goes into the
bottle, but considered the wellbeing of farm employees and surrounding
communities and the wider impact of farming on the surrounding environments.
The Awards are sponsored by Nedbank and Getaway Magazine
The conference facility at Rozendal on the
Polkadraai road
Some of the winning wines were there to be sampled
and canapés were served. Chutney and feta tarts
Mini hamburgers
Someone from the media whom we don't see often enough as
he is in Johannesburg; veteran reporter Len Maseko enjoying a moment with Anel
Grobler of Spit or Swallow
Mushroom Risotto
Very good duck spring rolls
Time to move inside for the awards and lunch
You are over there...
Getaway editor Neil Piper and Kathryn Frew of Ramsey Media
Neil opens proceedings. He told us that Getaway
magazine launched these awards in 2009 to encourage the industry to conserve,
reduce carbon footprint and green their wines. Quality too is very important.
How things have changed in these 8 years. Two decades ago, anything tagged
“organic” would have been somewhat out there on the hippy fringe. Organic is
mainstream, and nowhere is this more obvious than on retail shelves where
sustainable production is now sought after, with consumers happy to pay a
premium to be kinder to the environment. In 2015, Integrated Production of Wine
(IPW) replaced the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI) as a judging category
in the Nedbank Green Wine Awards
Daniel Rousseau, Regional Manager AGRED Nedbank
gave thanks to the partners of the awards, WWF, Ramsay Media and the Nedbank
Green marketing team. They are humbled by the growth of the awards and in the
accelerating change in the wine industry. They have now produced the world's
first Green Map for our local wine industry.
Time for the starter which was mock crayfish using Monkfish in a salad with basil pesto and Buffalo Mozzarella cream served with
the Longridge 2015 Chardonnay (this also scored 90 points in the Top Chardonnays
this week).There is a nice integration of golden fruit and gentle wood. All the
media were so impressed with the wines this year, which has not always been the
case
Head Judge Fiona MacDonald talked about the
entries. There were 120 wines judged across two categories (Best wines made
from Organically Grown Grapes and Best Wines from Integrated Production of Wine
category. She said judging was a real treat this year, we are no longer winging
it. Improvement in quality has been incremental, not in big leaps. Moody’s have
said that South Africa is the fastest growing Green economy in the world. To
anyone like Nedbank, who became involved years ago, well done. It is not a 'trend'
anymore, we have to be serious about our future. Seven billion Rand has been
spent on Green infrastructure in South Africa, without a penny from Government
The judges were Fiona, Dr Winnie Bowman CWM, Nomonde
Kubheka, François Rautenbach, and Tinashe Nyamudoka. Two wine bloggers were
judges: Jon Meinking and Jeanri-tine van Zyl. Judges in the Best Farming
Practices category Duimpie Bayly, honorary life president of the SA Society of
Enology and Wine Viticulture, Daniël Scheitakat of the Integrated Production of
Wine, and Anél Blignaut, an environmental consultant
Time for the main course: A very good tender beef
fillet topped with an olive and her butter and a rather fatty but tasty piece
of ox-tail, bones and all. Served on parmesan crushed potatoes, with blanched
courgettes and beans and some rocket. We drank the Earthbound 2015 Organic
Cabernet Sauvignon
Duimpie Bayly gave an address on Best Farming
Practice and then the awards were presented. See them here. http://www.greenwineawards.com/
Sandile Mkhwanazi of Wynland magazine looking very smart, rushing off to
another function
© John & Lynne
Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2016
