Sustainable
Organic Wine Trade Company is pleased to represent Makulu from the Paarl Ward region of Wellington, in the Western Cape of South Africa. The grapes used to produce Makulu are from vineyards dedicated to maintaining the environmental and the economic sustainability of the region
for future generations.
Sustainable agriculture is the heartbeat of South African wines. Six years after the abolition of the Co-Operative Wine Farmers Association (KWV) in 1992, the South African government established the Integrated Production of Wine (IPW). The KWV originally regulated production and set ‘quotas.’ It wasn’t until the IPW was established where quality and environmental sustainability became paramount to the South African wine industry in dealing with internati
onal demand, protecting natural resources, and becoming economically viable.
The IPW system affects everything from the vineyards (pest, soil and water management) to the bottling of the product (environmentally preferred purchases, human resources and material & waste handling) aimed specifically at producing wine through sustainable agriculture. The in-depth system addresses areas such as threatened ecosystems to dealing with invading alien plants to restoration and rehabilitation. It is within this system where nature is able to apply its full potential to the vineyards and grapes with as little human interference as possible.
The standards established by the South African government, not only for wine but also for all agriculture products, is why South Africa continues to lead the way in sustainable farming. The internationally recognized practices for conservation farming created by South Africa and the benefits realized has persuaded the New Zealand and California wine industries to follow the examples of the IPW system and develop their own plans to assist growers with sustainable agriculture.
The grapes grown for Makulu comply with all of the practices of the IPW, as well as South Africa’s Biodiversity and Wine Initiative (BWI) which aims at promoting the adoption of the best biodiversity practices and minimizing the further loss of threatened natural habitat. If any practice is not followed the growers may not deliver their grapes and no wine may be exported. It is under these guidelines where every glass matters.
Current releases of sustainable wines
Makulu - Sustainable Farming
Makulu Shiraz Western Cape, South Africa
Makulu Cabernet Sauvignon Western Cape, South Africa
Makulu Iswithi Pinotage Western Cape, South Africa
Makulu Moscato, Western Cape, South Africa
Makulu Sauvignon Blanc, Western Cape, South Africa
Think Wines - Sustainable Packaging
Think Red Borba, Alentejo, Portugal