The Winery Casa Betania of Lambrusco Mantovano of Lombardie

A couple of weeks ago, I was looking up at some terraced vineyards in St-Joseph with an Australian friend. He remarked that he’d never seen a steep vineyard like this in his home country. Who could afford to rip out the trees, build the access roads, construct the terraces, and plant the vines, without being certain beforehand that the resulting wine could be sold at prices high enough to recoup the investment? It might not be the most romantic way of looking at it. But that’s the modern reality ...

The Decanter World Wine Awards is the world’s largest and most influential wine competition, and is arguably the most comprehensive and authoritative source of recommendations for wine lovers worldwide. It is the trusted relationship that Decanter – the world’s leading wine media brand – has with an international audience of both consumers and trade that sets DWWA apart from other competitions, alongside world-class judging panels and a rigorous judging process. Wines are judge ...

The industry launched a certification programme called Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) back in 1995. It now covers 1,840 vineyards and 310 wineries. Growers can only achieve SWNZ certification by passing stringent tests within six key areas: water, waste, pest and disease control, soil, climate change and people. They must subject themselves to regular audits conducted by an independent company, which assesses the overall sustainability of their operations and verifies that they are m ...