 These growers represent an equivalent of about 80 per cent of the nation's wine-producing land; 22,500 hectares out of 29,000 hectares are already under the programme.
One hundred wineries, representing the equivalent of 75 per cent of wine production – have also signed up for the programme which was started in 1995.
Philip Gregan, CEO of the New Zealand Winegrowers said that increasing importance was being placed on sustainably produced wines in overseas markets. "Consumers have expectations regarding sustainably and ethically produced products and we must ensure that we meet these expectations," he said in a statement.
Grapegrowers and the winemakers must be accredited to the sustainable winegrowing programme and meet its standards to be able to use the Sustainable Winegrowing NZ logo on the bottle. "We are delighted to see the membership to Sustainable Winegrowing continuing to rise," Gregan is reported to have said in a report by Stuff.
There has been a surge in interest from vineyards and wineries in organic and biodynamic grape growing and winemaking, the concept which is catching the eye of winemakers and viticulturists throughout the world but not yet by the nascent wine industry in India.
In 2007, New Zealand Winegrowers updated its sustainability policy, with the aim to have all New Zealand grapes and wine produced under an independently-audited programme by the 2012 vintage. |