Reyneke Wines and Paul Cluver were the big winners at the 2011 Nedbank Green Wine Awards. Now in its third year, the awards – held in association with Getaway magazine – recognises wine producers that farm in an environmentally responsible way in two categories; Best Wine from Organically Grown Grapes and Best Environmental Practices Award. Natural, green, eco-friendly, healthy, better… There’s a growing interest in everything organic, with wine being no exception. Consumers, in South Africa and the world over, have become more cognisant of the effects of farming on the environment and aware that the way in which produce is treated before it reaches supermarket shelves affects our health. It’s heartening to see how enthusiastically South African wine producers are responding by going green; adopting environmentally friendly, organic farming methods that put our well-being and the well-being of the land first. To help consumers understand the different shades of green, as well as to acknowledge how far organically grown wines have come in terms of quality, the Nedbank Green Wine Awards were launched in 2009. The competition is divided into two categories: Best Wine from Organically Grown Grapes (rated according to the 20-point/5 Star system) and Best Environmental Practices (judged by a panel of four environmental experts). Best Wine from Organically Grown Grapes: Eleven producers entered a total of 49 wines into the first category, the aim of which is to promote high-quality wines produced using organically grown grapes. Judged by a panel comprised of Christian Eedes (panel chairperson), Cathy van Zyl and Fran?ois Rautenbach, the wines, which were each submitted with organic certification, were divided into categories according to grape variety or style and tasted blind, with scoring done according to the 20-point/5 Star system. Best White and Best Wine Overall was Reyneke Chenin Blanc 2010, Best Red was Laibach The Ladybird Red 2010 and Best Natural Sweet was Stellar Heaven on Earth Natural Sweet NV. Waverley Hills should also be commended for having three wines in the top 10, as did Reyneke Wines. Key findings It’s clear that green wine remains a niche sector – entries were down this year to 49 wines from 11 producers, compared to 50 from 16 in 2010 and 51 from 19 in 2009 – with farming organically both more expensive and riskier than farming conventionally. A common question is whether wines made from organically grown grapes taste better or at least different. The short answer is no, not even a professional taster is going to be able to discern a wine made from organically grown grapes from a conventional one with any real degree of confidence. That a wine is made from organically grown grapes does not make it taste better or worse and, as with the industry as a whole, quality ranges from outstanding to awful. If truth be told, the feeling among this year’s judging panel was that overall quality of the wines in the line-up was a little behind that of the overall industry, as if so much effort and resources are going into farming organically that winemaking is being neglected. That said, the wines were given no special privileges simply for being made from organically grown grapes and readers can purchase the top-performing examples with complete confidence, knowing that there’s more to them than simply being a ‘lekker dop’. Best White and Best Wine Overall was Reyneke Chenin Blanc 2010, Best Red was Laibach The Ladybird Red 2010 and Best Natural Sweet was Stellar Heaven on Earth Natural Sweet NV. Featuring in this year’s guide are 21 white wines, 28 red wines and 6 other wines (including sweet and rosé wines). Below we have listed the top 10 wines overall to give you a taste of what to expect in the guide. Top 10 wines in the Nedbank Green Wine Awards 4 Stars Reyneke Chenin Blanc 2010 – R100 Waverley Hills 2010 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc – R45 Laibach Ladybird Red 2010 – R85 Stellar Organic Heaven on Earth – R59 3 ½ Stars Reyneke Chenin Blanc/Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc 2010 – R55 Laibach Woolworths Merlot 2010 – R85 3 Stars Reyneke Sauvignon Blanc 2010 – R80 Waverley Hills Shiraz 2009 – R50 Wedderwill 17°C 2008 – R53 Waverley Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 – R50 Best Environmental Practices Award: This category of the Nedbank Green Wine Awards highlights those producers that farm in a sustainable manner, while giving back to the environment and community in which they exist. Entrants to the Best Environmental Practices Award are assessed on water management, conservation of natural areas and ecosystems, energy efficiency/ reduction of carbon emissions, soil management, chemical control and other environmental initiatives (from education programmes and community involvement to eco-tourism). A minimum condition of entry is a 70% IPW rating from the WWF Biodiversity and Wine Initiative. There were 10 entrants and the panel consisted of Tom McLaughlin (Good Business Journey project manager for Woolworths Foods), soil scientist Lourens van Schoor (head of IPW auditing body Enviroscientific), Inge Kotze (senior manager, WWF Sustainable Agriculture Programme) and Johan Reyneke of Reyneke Wines. The top contenders in this category were: Winner Paul Cluver, Elgin Runner-up La Motte, Franschhoek Third place Waverley Hills, Tulbagh Fourth place Cloof/Burgherspost, Darling Read the full article on the winners of the Nedbank Green Wine Awards in the Dec issue of Getaway Magazine, in stores 21 November or get the full 2011 Nedbank Green Wine Awards booklet at any Woolworths or Exclusive Books, bundled with Getaway’s December issue. For further information go to www.winemag.co.za.