Graham Beck Wine Might Be the Most Eco-Friendly Wine in the World

Many winemakers will say wine is made in the vineyard, not the winery – that the transformative chemistry of fermentation, while it certainly has its techniques and variables, is nothing compared to the vine’s relationship to the dirt it grows in and the hands that tend it.

There are winemakers who do not feel this way at all and many of them make completely bitchin’ beverages. But it is something to contemplate.

Which brings me to South Africa, where it is safe to say the prevailing sentiment is that it allmatters. South Africa is not only glorious in quality-to-price-point ratio, but it’s also probably the greenest wine-producing region on the planet. Multiple bodies oversee sustainability certification based on practices in viticulture, wastewater management, worker safety, carbon footprint, packaging, chemical inputs and vineyard biodiversity. They’re a socially conscious bunch as well – in 2012, 65% of all Fair Trade Certified wine sold worldwide came from South Africa.

A standout for ecological activism in a standout region is Graham Beck Wines. Winemaker Pieter Ferreira is turning out spectacular bottles on land that goes beyond sustainably-farmed to dedicate itself to maintaining four hectares of conservation land for every one hectare they farm. In the diverse and threatened biome of the Cape Floral Kingdom, this is no small thing.


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