Six wine farms in the Western Cape have been named WWF Conservation Champions, a title bestowed upon environmental leaders in South Africa’s wine industry.
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Boland Cellar, De Grendel, Glenwood Vineyards, Hartenberg Family Vineyards, Lomond Wine Estate and PaardenKloof Estate have been acknowledged for their leadership in implementing responsible and sustainable production practices, and for their commitment to regenerative farming practices, such as conserving biodiversity and setting aside land for conservation to protect endangered species.
As a whole, the 60 WWF Conservation Champions own 48 156 hectares of land, of which 25 626 hectares are conserved as a pristine part of the Cape Floral Kingdom. ‘Out of the 25,626 hectares conserved, 63.28% include species that are considered either Critically Endangered (CR) or Endangered (EN) while another 19.97% of the species are recognised with vulnerable status according to IUCN Red List,’ says Shelly Fuller, manager of WWF’s Conservation Champion Programme.
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Lomond Wine Estate was the first South African wine farm to adopt a conservation servitude with Fauna and Flora International and is also part of the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy. Glenwood Vineyards has pledged 21% of the property to nature conservation, while around 70% of PaardenKloof Estate’s 1 430 hectares are actively conserved.
Other champions have established key wildlife in conservation areas. De Grendel reintroduced eland, bontebok, and red hartebeest, and PaardenKloof Estate brought Nguni cattle home. Hartenberg Family Vineyards is among the new champions integrating grazing animals, sheep and small livestock breeds into their regenerative practices.
The champion wine farms are also clearing alien invasive species to make space for indigenous vegetation and implementing farming practices that are geared towards protecting endangered vegetation. To this end, Glenwood Vineyards and Lomond Wine Estate are committed to protecting critically endangered species such as Kogelberg Sandstone Fynbos, Swartland Alluvium Fynbos and Elim Ferricrete Fynbos on their farms.
Aiming to create fynbos corridors and biodiversity islands on vineyards, Boland Cellar plants indigenous trees and bee-friendly crops such as wild radishes, dandelions and sunflowers between their vines to support bee populations and promote a biodiverse ecosystem. Some of their wines are named after a plant or animal species associated with the vineyard of their origin to convey their passion for biodiversity.
To choose a WWF Conservation Champion wine, look for the distinctive sugarbird and protea logos on bottles when buying wine.
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