New Zealand Celsias

Sustainability and wine go together quite well, judging by this year’s Air New Zealand Wine Awards. A new criteria was introduced this year, stipulating that wines grown and entered from the 2010 vintage onwards must be recognised as being 100 percent sustainably produced. The result? A near 140 percent increase in sustainable entries from last year—up from 261 last year to 621 this year. 

But of the 621 entries, who came out tops in the sustainability ranks? Gibbston Valley China Terrace Central Otago Pinot Noir 2009, take a bow. The Pinot Noir took home the 'O-I New Zealand Champion Sustainable Wine trophy' at Saturday night’s awards ceremony, held at Auckland’s Sky City. 

To meet the sustainability criteria, 100 percent of grapes that go into the wine must be accredited/certified through an independently audited sustainability programme and 100 percent of the winemaking and packaging facilities used in the production of the wine must be accredited/certified through an independently audited sustainability programme. 

Chief winemaker at Gibbston Valley, Christopher keys, says the winery only made the move to sustainably produced wines two years ago. He says these days, people should be concerned about where their food—including wine—comes from. And as well as benefiting the consumer, he says sustainability also helps define New Zealand’s wine industry. 

“Sustainability is a good standpoint for the New Zealand wine industry to be coming from, so that in time, we’ll be known as having sustainably accredited vineyards and a strong sustainability ethos,” says Keys. “It’s a product that comes form an industry that’s aware its actions and the impacts that has on the environment,” he adds. 

He credits the central Otago location of the Gibbston Valley vineyard as going some ways towards helping the winery in its sustainability aims.  While he says the region faces different challenges like cool weather, with little humidity in the region, the need to use viticulture inputs—like fungicides—are reduced. 

And while Keys is confident the industry can reach its 2012 goal of being 100 percent sustainable, he says there are some who want to move beyond sustainability. 

“There are some organic or biodynamic winemakers who think sustainability is not as far as we should be going. But as far as a baseline, I think it’s a very worthy ambition for everyone to have. There’s no reason why the wine industry shouldn’t be presenting a united front when it comes to sustainability.” 

New Zealand Winegrowers' global marketing director Chris Yorke says this year’s high entry numbers demonstrate an industry that values both competition and the production of good quality, sustainable wines. 

"Sustainability has been a focus of the Air New Zealand Wine Awards and the wine industry for many years. Sustainable entries totalled 39 per cent of this year's entries and it's very encouraging to see that wineries in New Zealand are responding so positively to the challenge of sustainable wine production and the enhanced entry criteria," says Yorke. 

And for the wine buffs among you who want to know who took home the grand ‘Air New Zealand Champion Wine of the Show trophy’, the Central Otago region can take another bow, with Peregrine Central Otago Pinot Noir 2009 taking out the top nod. 

2010 Air New Zealand Wine Awards entries by class including sustainable entries

• Sparkling (62 wines submitted, 8 sustainable – 12.9%)
• Gewürztraminer (57 wines submitted, 28 sustainable – 49.1%)
• Pinot Gris (165 wines submitted, 93 sustainable – 56.4%)
• Riesling (125 wines submitted, 54 sustainable – 43.2%)
• Sauvignon Blanc (276 wines submitted, 217 sustainable – 78.6%)
• Chardonnay (210 wines submitted, 43 sustainable – 20.5%)
• Viognier (31 wines submitted, 9 sustainable – 29.0%)
• Other White Varieties & Blends (16 wines submitted, 8 sustainable – 50.0%)
• Dessert Wine Styles (32 wines submitted, 6 sustainable – 18.8%)
• Rosé (35 wines submitted, 28 sustainable – 80.0%)
• Pinot Noir (310 wines submitted, 74 sustainable – 23.9%)
• Merlot (56 wines submitted, 15 sustainable – 26.8%)
• Cabernet Sauvignon & Blends (84 wines submitted, 8 sustainable – 9.5%)
• Syrah (73 wines submitted, 10 sustainable – 13.7%)
• Other Red Varieties, Unspecified or Blended Reds (24 wines submitted, 3 sustainable – 12.5%)
• Current Vintage Reds (4 wines submitted, 4 sustainable – 100.0%)
• Emerging Wine Styles (26 wines submitted, 13 sustainable – 50.0%)

View all the results HERE.

Gibbston Valley's chief winemaker Christopher Keys