Planet-Friendly Wines From South Africa To Drink On Earth Day

On April 22, 2022, Earth Day will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Back in 1970, the inaugural Earth Day event helped establish the modern environmental movement. Since then, many of the concerns about pesticides use, water conservation, and the loss of natural wildlife habitats have gained new supporters and new urgency.

It’s hard to believe that even a decade ago, most wine shops or supermarkets did not stock bottles made with organically farmed grapes. Today, wine drinkers who care about the planet and its health can easily find such options.

Even celebrities like Cameron Diaz and Supermodel Christie Brinkley have jumped on board the organic wine train. In 2016, Christie Brinkley released her own sparkling organic wine called Bellisima. Actress Cameron Diaz launched ‘Avaline’, a “clean” and organic wine range with her best friend and partner Katherine Power in 2020.

Consider the list below as your essential Earth Day wine shopping list. Each of the South African wines on this list is produced using methods that limit their impact on the planet.

Waverley Hills Grenache Rose 2020

Made in Tulbagh, this 100% Grenache has an attractive pale pink colour and offers fresh flavours of prickly pears, fynbos and watermelon. Easy drinking with a fresh and fruity palate with tropical flavours and enough weight to give it a lasting aftertaste. Waverley Hills is best known for producing organic wines. The fertile, yellow clay terrain is impregnated with river stones, resulting in well-drained soils with excellent water holding capacity. All the vineyards are irrigated with pure spring water and are located in a natural watershed area. The area is renowned for its diverse fynbos (indigenous flora), giving the wines of Waverley Hills its unique herbaceous characteristic.

Get a bottle from the farm, popular retail stores or at the winery’s online shop for R135.

Springfontein Jil’s Dune Chenin Blanc 2017

All grapes of this purely organic Single Vineyard Chenin Blanc derive from one of Springfontein’s oldest blocks, #I4, nestled in the estate’s limestone dunes. Within reach of the Benguela and the Agulhas current’s mixing zone, you can hear, smell and almost see the freezing sea waters swell and mist, not a handful of miles away, which in Walker Bay’s winter attract the calving whales. For this wine, the two oceans create a cool microclimate so unique as our tiny piece of earth’s calcareous soils.

Pricey but worth it! Get a bottle from the farm or online store for R465.

Org de Rac Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot 2017

The Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vineyards lie on the southerly slopes of Piketberg within the boundaries of Org de Rac Estate. The best clonal selections and site expressions of the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon sites were chosen for this wine. The grapes were picked at full phenolic ripeness, with the batches undergoing stringent berry selection to ensure only the purest, best fruit undergoes vinification. The wine-making focused on the development of mouthfeel, extra care is taken to avoid over-extraction and to ensure the accent remains on clean, bright fruit characters expressing the exceptional vineyard character.

Get it from the wine farm in Piketberg for R330 or at Org de Rac’s online shop.