WINE magazine has partnered with Nedbank to recognise and encourage environmentally friendly wine production. The inaugural Nedbank Organic Wine Awards, to be announced in December, will reward the producer with the best environmental practices and the best wine made from certified organically grown grapes.

“Our aim is to create public awareness around wine growing that takes account of the environment and in so doing to encourage the quality and production of wine from organically grown grapes,” explained WINE’s Editor, Christian Eedes.

Entries will be judged blind using guidelines set out by the Integrated Production of Wine, incorporating the Biodiversity Wine Initiative. The IPW was established by the South African wine industry to provide wine buyers with a guarantee that grapes are produced with due consideration for the environment and the wine is safe for the consumer.

The panel of judges will include IPW Auditor, Lourens van Schoor; Manager of the Biodiversity Wine Initiative, Inge Kotze; and Environmental Consultant for Woolworths, Tom McLaughlin.

Nedbank has a long history of involvement in the wine industry, with its involvement in the Cape Winemakers Guild (CWG) Development Trust helping families of farm workers.

The Nedbank Green Trust, meanwhile, has been pivotal in establishing the Biodiversity Wine Initiative, which is aimed at encouraging responsible land usage and farming within the wine industry. Its sponsorship of the Organic Wine Awards further supports its aim to be the leading 'green bank'.