What the hell is sustainable wine?

CHEERS: Barton on Wine

BY WARREN BARTON

Guardians of the Earth, friends  of the planet and other assorted green do-gooders will no doubt have joined hands and jumped for joy this week when it was announced  that all wines from the 2010 vintage entered in this year's Air New Zealand Wine Awards must be sustainably produced.

Meanwhile, the silent majority, whose main  concern is the price they pay for the wine they drink, will probably still be asking : What's the hell's this sustainability stuff  about?
A good question. And one that deserves to be answered  because there is, behind all the verbiage and the buzz words that surround the subject, good reason to sit up, take notice and applaud winegrowers for what they are attempting to do.

Which is: To promote and reinforce the clean green image which helps to sell our wines around the world by identifying and promoting winegrowing practices that are economically viable, socially responsible, and environmentally sound.

This means (in plainer English) doing such things in the vineyard as understanding and emulating natural processes; reducing the use of pesticides; promoting soil health through the use of cover crops and compost ; by paying attention  in the winery to energy and water usage, waste management, recycling  and other practices.

True. Many of these practices have been followed for years by organic and biodynamic  wine producers or  demanded by ISO (international) standards. But it wasn't till the mid-1990s that a group of volunteer New Zealand grapegrowers  got together and pioneered a set of industry standards which, through Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ), has established a framework those who want a ``sustainable'' sticker on  their wines must follow.

To qualify for that valued fern sticker the winery/brand must be an accredited member of the SWNZ and  the wine must be made in an accredited winery from  100 per cent accredited vineyard  grapes.

Members, like certified biodynamic, organic and ISO 14000 producers must also undergo independent audits which in this case are conducted on a random selection basis once every three years on average.

New Zealand Winegrowers' aim is to have all wineries involved in the programme, encouraging many to do so through the introduction four years ago of special ``pure'' medals for sustainable wines at Air New Zealand Wine Awards. Now, by allowing only sustainable wines in our biggest and most important show, it is well on the way to achieving that goal.

At last year's show 112 ``pure'' medals were awarded,  nearly twice the 2008 tally, and here are  a few of the pure gold winners still available and worth tasting:
Hunter's 2009 Gewurztraminer, about $22
This is what gewurzt is all about  soft and floral with trademark rose petal-lychee characters. Pure and pretty, medium-dry.

Spy Valley 2009 Gewurztraminer, about $23
More rose petals, lychees  and a hint of turkish delight from Marlborough. Plenty of fruit and spice on the palate.  Bold and lush, almost oily. Medium.

Deutz 2006 Blanc de Blancs, about $39
A lovely, elegant chardonnay-driven bubbly with impeccable credentials . Crisp and clean with citrusy, yeasty,  mineral  flavours. One of our finest.

Brightwater 2009 Pinot Gris, about $25
A medium-sweet  Nelson beauty that flows effortlessly across the palate and charms the tastebuds with pear and stonefruit flavours.  Beautifully textured, juicy wine.

Thornbury 2008 Pinot Noir, about $30
A Central Otago wine with huge appeal at a sensible price.  A  medley of cherries  and  plums  served  in a silken dish. Bring on the roast lamb or or use as tipple.

Villa Maria 2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, about $50
This is serious stuff, made for those who  enjoy  the bold black fruit, liquorice and  tarry flavours that inhabit such  magnificent, inky wines as this.  Off  the Gimblett  Gravels in Hawke's Bay.

- © Fairfax NZ News