Wine Innovation Magazine

New Zealand is a pioneer country in sustainability in wine growing.

New Zealand Winegrowers are 100% committed to preserving the unique places that make their wines famous and sustainability will be a key theme in the 2011/2012 marketing and communication plans.

THE AIM

For all New Zealand Wineries and Vineyards to be operating in accordance with an independently audited sustainability programme by vintage 2012.

REQUIREMENTS FOR MEETING THE POLICY
On the page overleaf is a document outlining the requirements for meeting the 100% sustainable New Zealand Wine criteria and what you need to do to ensure you are eligible. Please follow the flow chart to ensure you meet the criteria.

To meet the NZW policy and enter NZW events, promotions and awards, wines from 2010 vintage onwards have to be recognised as coming from wineries and vineyards operating in accordance with an independently audited sustainability programme (or a combination of), the criteria for which are:

1. 100% of grapes (vineyards) that go into the wine are accredited/certified.
2. 100% of wine processing plant(s) where the wine is produced and bottled is accredited/certified.
3. If the brand owner does not own the vineyards or the plant in which the wine is processed and bottled, i.e. virtual wineries, it requires a separate membership in the form of a brand certification. Please see additional notes below.

Each wine has to meet all of the above criteria.

The list of recognised certification programmes are:

• Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ)
• BioGro-NZ
• AsureQuality
• Demeter
• ISO 14001

Note: If members have a combination of SWNZ and other sustainable accreditations (listed above) for vineyards and winery processing plants then they do meet the NZW policy. However members need to make sure the brand is certified if they do not own the winemaking facility or the vineyards.

Note: If such a member wants to use the SWNZ logo they must have the brand SWNZ certified.

Note: The use of either the SWNZ logo or an organic logo on the wine labels is not permitted if the wines are made under multiple sustainable programmes.

Original source: www.wineinf.nzwine.com