South African wine companies dominated the results of the inaugural Drinks Business Green Awards in London.

Dr Paul Cluver, founder of Paul Cluver Wines, received arguably the highest accolade, winning the Lifetime Achievement Award, for his ongoing, visionary approach to conservation and exemplary environmental credentials. Dr. Cluver is also the Chairman of the company of wine people TM ‘s board of directors.

Inge Kotzé of the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative was awarded the Personality Award and Backsberg walked away with the Sustainability Award. Paul Cluver Wines and Stellar Organics were named runners-up in the Ethical Award category, giving South Africa a notable presence in four of the eight award results.

The Drinks Business Green Awards are designed to highlight and reward leadership on environment, sustainability and climate change, by drinks companies worldwide.

Commenting on the success, Su Birch, CEO of Wines of South Africa (WOSA) said: “This is a significant moment in the development of South Africa’s green credentials and we are delighted so many of our champions are being recognised for the substantial contributions they are making to the advancement of sustainable practice in the wine industry.  South Africa is a leader in production integrity and is committed to working in harmony with the environment to ensure long-term sustainable and profitable growth.”

Read more on wosa.co.za

Arniston Bay Brand News:

One of the leading South African brand in the UK, Arniston Bay,  has also introduced environmentally friendly initiatives. Arniston Bay introduced the environmentally friendly wine pouch and has also reduced the weight of wine bottles in some of our ranges.

We congratulate and salute our fellow South Africans , within the wine industry,  in their efforts to save our environment.

Congratulations to Joanita Christie and Derek Mitchell

Their Facebook comments were judge to be the best and they have each won an Arniston Bay wine hamper.

We are giving away Arniston Bay wine prizes for the best quote / comment on our Facebook page.

All you have to do is become a Facebook fan and leave a comment / quote on the page.

Congratulations to Debbie van Zyl.

Debbie is the lucky Facebook fan of the month and has won an Arniston Bay wine hamper.

Become a Facebook Fan and stand a chance to win wine hampers

Forget the candy and the flowers! If you really want to win over your sweetheart, give your Valentine a bottle of wine. Even Cupid knows that wine is the perfect sharing beverage.

According to a recent Online Survey in which both men and women participated equally, 59% said they would be happier to receive wine from their sweetheart on Valentine’s Day compared with 41% who would prefer a box of chocolates.

And what do most people think they will actually receive from their Valentine? Though 59% of those surveyed said they would prefer wine over candy for Valentine’s Day, only 14% expected that their sweetheart would really come through with a bottle of wine. Almost 50% expected to receive one of the old standbys–flowers (26%) or candy (23%). Another 21% didn’t even expect a token gift.

Read more …

So surprise and dazzle your Valentine with a good bottle of wine. The Arniston Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 with its deep red colour and berry fruit aromas is just the right wine for your Valentine.

Out of the way boys! This one’s for the girls! Cape Town girls looking for a dazzling night out will get the opportunity to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and be care-free by filling their glasses with the fresh, crisp wine and enjoy the 5FM Girls’ Night Out, coming to the Cape Town Women’s Show on Friday, February 19.

The company of wine peopleTM‘s Brands and Business Development Manager, Corne Oosthuizen, says, “We are proud to be sponsoring our care-free, wines for an event of this nature. It aligns perfectly with our uniquely relaxing brand of Arniston Bay wines.”

Get your four closest girlfriends together, and join Sureshnie and your fav 5FM girls at the CTICC. 5FM will be treating the ladies to a fashion show, an Elle magazine trend workshop, a hot set from 5FM’s female DJs and a live performance by Gang of Instrumentals!

Listen to Sureshnie Rider’s show (Mon-Thurs, 11pm-1am) for details on how to get onto the guest list. “We will be showcasing our wines at both The Women’s Show and The Girls’ Night Out Party and are very excited to introduce the ladies of Cape Town to our blush pink, new sparkling Rosé which is an ideal drink for a girls night out,” he continues.

Listen to Sureshnie Rider’s show (Mon-Thurs, 11pm-1am) for details on how to get onto the guest list.

For more info visit: www.5fm.co.za

South Africa continues to rank as the fastest-growing wine category in the UK.

New data shows, and Wines of SA (Wosa) CEO Su Birch believes exports of packaged wines could grow 10% in volume this year, provided the rand doesn’t strengthen materially.

Sales figures released by AC Nielsen for the UK, South Africa’s biggest wine export destination, show that local wines have increased their volume share of the market from 10.4% in 2008 to 12.3% in 2009.

Although still in fourth place, the country is now virtually on a par with France, which occupies third position with 12.4%, behind Australia and the US.

Birch added that the South African brands to have performed exceptionally well included First Cape, Kumala, Arniston Bay, Two Oceans and KWV.

Read more…

As South Africa continues to defy the global economic downturn by annually lifting the export of its packaged wines, it is making concerted moves to lower the weight of its wine bottles and so maintain its status as one of the world’s most eco-progressive winemaking nations and a leader in production integrity.

From this year, 750-ml wine bottles closed with screwcaps and weighing only 350 grams will be available to local wine producers. These compare with an average bottle weight of over 500 grams just four years ago.

“As we raise our export volumes of mostly bottled wines, we also increase our carbon emissions, so it becomes a delicate balancing act to enhance our sustainability profile while pushing up our output,” explained Su Birch, CEO of Wines of South Africa (WOSA), one of the leading champions of the country’s efforts to grow, make and market wines in a way that is least harmful to the environment.

She said the wine industry body, SA Wine Industry Information Systems (SAWIS), had calculated that for every 10 million litres of wine shipped in bulk, just over 107 jobs would be lost. “This figure does not even factor in the multiplier effect that such job losses bring. It has, for example, been reported that for every one of Unilever’s direct jobs in South Africa, another 22 workers depend on the company for at least a part of their livelihood. This is an indication of just how crucial each job is to a developing economy such as ours.”

While many players in the South African wine industry had actively supported bottle recycling programmes in recent years to reduce their impact on the environment, efforts were now being accelerated to focus on light-weight wine bottles as well.

According to Consol Glass, South Africa’s leading manufacturer of glass containers for the beverage industry, until 2006 the average weight of a 750ml non-returnable wine bottle was 516 grams, which by last year had dropped to 437 grams, a decrease of 15%. The new light-weight bottle will bring down the average still further.

She said the sturdy, light-weighted bottles, apart from strengthening South Africa’s reputation for environmentally responsible wine production, would also address the demands of leading retailers. Also keen to enhance their sustainability credentials, the multiple grocer chains were responding to high-profile media and consumer calls for more eco-friendly packaging.

Birch added that alternative wine packaging, such as the wine pouch offered by leading export brand, Arniston Bay, had also been welcomed in many export markets. South African bag-in-box wines were also very popular, particularly in Scandinavia.

Source: wine.co.za

Chicken salads are easy meal options, especially in summer. Here’s a simple recipe which is delicious when shared with friends and served with Arniston Bay Chenin Blanc Chardonnay.

Total Time:      25 minutes

Serves:             4

Ingredients

• -250g  rice noodles or angel hair pasta
• -1 tablespoon olive oil
• -4 180g  boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• salt and pepper
• -1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• -1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• -1 tablespoon sugar
• -1 jalapeno (preferably red), seeded and thinly sliced
• -1 bunch watercress (about 3 cups)
• -1 seedless cucumber, cut into ½ cm-thick half-moons
• -2 scallions, sliced

Directions

1. - Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. - Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook until browned and cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes per side.
3. - In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, sesame oil, sugar, and jalapeño.
4. - Slice the chicken. Divide the noodles, chicken, watercress, cucumber, and scallions among plates. Drizzle with the dressing.

Recommended Wine:

The Arniston Bay Chenin Blanc Chardonnay 2009 will superbly  complement this meal. This wine has a lovely pineapple and melon nose with a crisp and fresh taste.

Source: Real Simple

The wine: