News
Support grows for sustainable New Zealand wine
Sustainably-produced, high quality New Zealand wines are on the tasting table and at the industry forefront this week.
Judging begins today of the record number of entries – 1750 wines – in the 2008 Air New Zealand Wine Awards. It's the highest level of interest in the competition's almost 30-year history.
Open only to New Zealand wines, the awards are the country's most prestigious wine competition, organised by grapegrowing and winemaking industry body, New Zealand Winegrowers.
Bell Gully is continuing its long association with the wine industry and the awards by sponsoring the Champion Sustainable Wine Trophy. The sustainable category, which was introduced last year, has attracted 180 entries from around the country – up by 73% on last year. The level of interest backs up further recent statistics from NZ Winegrowers to demonstrate the increasing commitment to sustainable practices.
Figures just released show that almost 80% of the country's vineyards – around 1100 – have signed up to the NZ Winegrowers sustainable winegrowing programme. As well, a new national framework, developed with partners including Bell Gully, was launched to guide resource management and planning for the sustainable development of the wine industry.
At this year's Air New Zealand Wine Awards, sustainable category entrants will be in the running for Pure Bronze, Pure Silver, Pure Gold or Pure Elite Gold medals, as well as for the prestigious Bell Gully Champion Sustainable Wine Trophy, awarded to the top wine that is sustainably grown and produced.
Wines in the competition will be judged over three days (3-5 November) in Auckland by a 26-strong judging team chaired by Steve Smith, Master of Wine.
Elite gold medals and trophies, including the Bell Gully Champion Sustainable Wine Trophy, will be announced at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards dinner in Wellington on 22 November.
David McGregor, Bell Gully's senior partner and long-time counsel to the wine industry, will present the trophy.
