It is known as the farm with the ducks and where the term BioLOGIC^® was born. Avondale Estate has been at the forefront of organic wine production in South Africa, taking the buzzword “organic” a step further with the introduction of BioLOGIC^®, a unique and more holistic approach to winemaking.

This has all been the work of Johnathan Grieve, proprietor of the Avondale Estate outside Paarl whose commitment to natural and holistic wine production stems from a belief that good wine has to originate from soils that have been restored to their natural, de-chemicalised state.

When it came to choosing the right corks for his new range, Johnathan settled on Amorim’s corks with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) status, and we asked him why:

Which wines are bottled under FSC?
Our whole range has moved back to natural FSC accredited cork since the 2010 White vintage and the 2009 Red vintage, as well as our MCC.

How does FSC subscribe to the unique Avondale ethos?
Well its part of the whole picture, that being one of sustainability and anything and everything natural. I think Natural cork is the ultimate closure for top end wines and because there is nothing like opening a natural cork. It’s part of the ritual of drinking wine. From a natural cork perspective a FSC accreditation is something that gives the consumer peace of mind that the cork is from a sustainable source and just adds that attention to detail.

Is consumer demand for sustainably-produced wines increasing?
I think that is always an interesting question, there is no doubt that there is a drive from consumers and buyers towards Sustainably produce. This said, there are different levels of sustainability. Our holistic way of working with Nature ensures that Avondale’s 100 hectares of vineyards meet the two global standards for organic farming accreditation: the USDA NOP for the United States and EU organic regulation for the EU.

Article published by Amorim SA Newsletter – April 2011