Backsberg has won the Sustainability Award at the inaugural Drinks Business Green Awards. The winners of this international competition were announced recently at an awards ceremony in London. Louise Wishart, marketing manager of our UK importer, Ellis of Richmond, was there to receive the award on our behalf.

We were also chuffed to have been a runner-up in the Green Company of the Year category. Entries to the competition included many of the wine industry’s world leaders in sustainability. You can read more about the awards and the winners here.

The official blurb regarding the awards is as follows:

The Drinks Business Green Awards highlights and rewards leadership on environment, sustainability and climate change by drinks companies worldwide. Designed to raise awareness of green issues in our industry and boost the role of marketing in influencing consumer behaviour, the Drinks Business Green Awards provide a high-profile platform for companies to showcase their positive commitment to the planet. With support from a range of influential supporting partners and an eminent panel of expert judges, the awards emphasise how sustainability is core to development in the drinks industry.

According to the judging panel, the Sustainability Award recognised our efforts in employing the most efficient and effective sustainable practices throughout the farm, whether in the production facilities or our agricultural practices. Judges took into account all aspects of production where waste management, recycling and sustainable practices have been improved in the last three years and more particularly in the last 12 months. You can view the photo gallery that was part of our entry here.

In a word, it was really great to receive this type of recognition. In response to winning the award, my dad sums it in saying “Solutions are plentiful if you accept that a ‘business as usual’ approach is no longer viable. You can’t have holy cows anymore.

“Affecting change is both challenging and exciting. Positive recognition for bringing about environmental change servers as an important motivator for Backsberg to carry on its effort in the field of environmental care.”

South Africa did really well in the awards with Inge Kotzé, project co-ordinator for the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative being awarded Green Personality and the Lifetime Achievement Award going to Paul Cluver. Congratulations to them! SB

Drinks Business Green Awards Certificate

Shipping small quantities of wine directly to private customers in Europe is not a new idea. Up to recently, however, it has been horribly expensive, with shipping costs often exceeding the cost of the actual wine. Combine those high costs with the airlines clamping down on one taking wine on board, and there is a significant hassle factor to ordering a case or two of wine.

To counter this, we have teamed up with a European logistics company and set up warehousing for our wine in Europe. So, the orders are actually dispatched from stock that we now have in place at the warehouse, which brings the costs down significantly.

There has been a really great response to the system in the tasting room. To give you an idea, to ship a case of 12 bottles within Germany the cost is about 12 Euros. The wines themselves are priced in Euros/Pounds, and they are a bit more expensive compared to the tasting room prices, but when you add it all up it’s still a seriously good deal.

You can check out the European e-store here. For more information you can contact Danwin, our tasting room manager, on danwin@backsberg.co.za or +27 21 8755141. SB

I’m very fortunate to be making both wine and brandy and to see the whole process through from the start to the end. When we are working with the brandy in the cellar, there is definitely an added excitement among the cellar crew.

2.    What kind of grapes do you use to make the Sydney Back Brandy?

We only use high-quality Chenin Blanc grapes. A quality start in brandy is extremely important; if you cut corners you will be found out later as any mistake is magnified in the process.

3.    When did Backsberg start producing Brandy and what does your range include?

In 1990, legislation changed allowing private estates to produce estate brandies. The late Sydney Back jumped at this opportunity and imported a pot still from France and started producing brandy. In 1995, the brandy won the Domecq Trophy for the best brandy in the world at the London International Wine and Spirit Competition! Our range now includes a 5, 10 and 15 year pot still brandy.

4.    What was your first encounter with premium brandy?

Just after finishing high school I went on holiday with some friends. As it happened one friend picked up a nasty stomach bug on the trip. We had been saving a bottle of Oude Molen 8 year old brandy for the end of the holiday to celebrate our finishing school. The brandy was opened prematurely, however, to ease the pain of the friend. I can’t prove the medicinal properties of the brandy, but the mood of both the sick friend and that of the group certainly picked up on tasting a premium brandy for the first time.

5.    How do you think the premium brandy market in South Africa has changed over the last five to ten years?

There is a definite excitement and awareness among more people regarding premium South African brandies. I also believe that more and more young people are starting to appreciate quality pot still brandies.

6.    What can we look forward to going forwards from Backsberg?

We are currently selling some of our 15 year pot still brandy, but we still have a fair amount of stock in maturation. In 2016, Backsberg will be a 100 years old. All I am saying is watch the space…

7.    If you had to single out a favourite brandy aroma what would that be?

I love the nutty character of older brandies.

8.    What’s your ultimate food and brandy pairing?

It’s got to be a decadent dessert pairing. You can’t go wrong with chocolate mud pie and a fine pot still brandy.

9.    Are there any misconception that you think people have about brandy?

Without wanting to sound snobbish, I feel that too many people still think brandy should be mixed with Coke in order to be enjoyed. Premium brandy is a whole new world that I would love more people to explore.

10.    For those looking to further their brandy knowledge and appreciation, what would you recommend?

I highly recommend reading the book “Fire Water”, which provides a brilliant overview on brandy in South Africa. I would encourage people to taste as many pot still brandies from different producers as possible . There is also a brandy route which makes for a great day out in the Cape Winelands.

Backsberg was the supplier of wine for the VIP hospitality area for this game. It was really special being part of such a historical event.  We’ll be there for the next test game 2, which features a rugby festival on the 6th February. I can report that the stadium looks absolutely incredible and no doubt supporters are going to treated to a feast of soccer entertainment come June.

They made 20 000 tickets available for this first event and the rugby is going to see 40 000 visit the 68 000 capacity stadium. I took some snaps of the game which you can see here.

Cheers, SB

In late September, I spent a couple of days in Napa Valley. The experience was nothing short of incredible. The trip to Napa was organised through the GWCN and in turn the very dynamic Napa Valley Vintners office. So, one might argue that I got a slightly biased view of Napa; that being said, I had a great time and learnt a tremendous amount. Here are some of my top take-home points from the trip.

1. A rising tide lifts all boats philosophy - I was struck by the sense of producers playing to the same ‘brand Napa’ tune. There was a genuine sense of knowledge-sharing between vineyards - not in a Kumbaya let’s hold hands type of way, but rather in a ‘if we work together constructively we can grow both individually and collectively’ sense.
2. Environmental focus - A green approach is becoming more and more mainstream. Through the Napa Green Certified Winery and Certified Land programs, producers are really getting on board. Sure, there is an element of greenwashing in some cases, but for the most part what I saw was really positive.
3. Telling stories - Damn, they are good at putting their best foot forward. In some cases the story telling at tasting rooms can be a touch staged and maybe contrived, but by and large the people that I encountered know how to tell their story, and tell it well.
4. Staff training - The level of staff training was one of the things that impressed me the most. It was immediately clear that Napa producers have invested heavily into training their staff to be seriously competent. It was also not uncommon to have people who where qualified as winemakers working in the tasting room environment.
5. Tasting room offerings - Producers have moved beyond the regular wine tasting experience. With the proliferation of vineyards in Napa, the competition is fierce, and this has forced tasting rooms to get creative with their offering and up the quality in general.
6. Going direct - Shipping laws in the US are hugely complex. Despite this challenge, I saw many producers investing into the direct-to-consumer sales channel, wherever possible. One struggled to find a winery which didn’t have some kind of wine club or loyalty program.
7. Production focus -One of things that surprised me the most was the extent to which wine in and of itself has led tourism in Napa. Destination/tourism marketing is only now starting to kick into gear. Napa Vintners has focused on punting Napa as one of the top wine production areas in the world and everything else has fallen in line with that positioning.
8. Resources into marketing - There is some serious cash in Napa, and producers are seemingly not afraid to get out the ol’ cheque book. Sure, there are your investment bankers and IT tycoons getting in on the act, but ultimately marketing as a function is highly regarded and this is backed with serious capital.
9. Social Media Adoption - With the proximity of Silicon Valley, I suppose it’s no surprise that there is a very high level of adoption of all the various forms of social media and this is in turn twinned with strategies to drive online sales. Many consumers are interacting with wineries through online means.
10. Social/community outreach - Whether through their famous auction or various outreach programs there is a real willingness and energy on the part of some of the producers to engage with the Napa community at large, which is really great.

Here is a short slide show of some pics from Napa.

A big thank you to Great Wine Capitals and Rex Stults of Napa Valley Vintners and his team for arranging my visit. SB

]]> http://www.backsberg.co.za/blog/they-dont-just-sing-kumbaya-in-napa/feed/ http://www.backsberg.co.za/blog/how-to-open-a-bottle-of-wine-without-a-corkscrew-video/ http://www.backsberg.co.za/blog/how-to-open-a-bottle-of-wine-without-a-corkscrew-video/#comments Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:15:49 +0000 Simon Back http://www.backsberg.co.za/blog/?p=524 Have you ever had that issue of not being able to find a corkscrew to open a bottle of wine? I stumbled on this rather amusing video which details a young French gentleman getting quite innovative with a certain item of clothing and what looks to be a fairly stable concrete wall, in order to pop the cork on a bottle of wine. I suspect this might not be his first bottle of wine for the evening, making it even more impressive. That being said, I am not sure I would advocate this method, but no doubt if you master it, you will be the talk of a party! SB

Picnics and wine will be on sale at the farm, but feel free to bring your own picnic along. Admission is from 15:00 and the set will start at 17:00.

Tickets are R85 pre-booked (available through www.computicket.com) or R100.00 at the gate. Children under 12 get in for free.

For a map and directions to the farm and information about the series and upcoming artists see http://www.backsberg.co.za/PicnicConcerts and to sign up to the Facebook Page click here.

See you there. SB

I think the above poster sums up the key details but for more information and any updates please check out www.backsberg.co.za/PicnicConcerts. You can pre-book tickets for the concerts through Computicket. Ticket sales are opening up in the next week or so. Please email picnicconcerts@backsberg.co.za if you have any queries and if you are a member of the press/media/a blogger, I am keen to get you involved. Check you there. SB

The project started some time in June, when I spotted FTFA founder, Jeunesse Park, and my father sitting at a table at our restaurant, scheming. I was summoned over to the table with something of a nonchalant hand gesture- come hither dear child. FTFA is primarily based in Joburg, but they are doing more and more work in the Western Cape and as such required a base in the area. So, the Earth Centre was first rooted in the practical requirement for a home for FTFA in the Cape Town area. From there however, the concept developed tremendously. Back to my being summoned- I approached the table hesitantly, and sure enough Jeunesse and my dad had, in the course of lunch, conceptualised a whole new project, and had appointed yours truly as the ‘delagatee’, proceeding to rattle of  a rather intimidating to-do list.

In broad terms, and I think it is important to emphasise that the centre is opening as a ‘work in progress’, the space is one meant to tackle environmental change in the Western Cape. The centre is to act as an information hub, workshop venue and learning centre. It will provide a space for sustainable development and climate change action, inspiration, education and solutions. Those are lofty goals, but we are confident that through pooling the collective passion and networks of Backsberg and Food and Trees for Africa, we can make a real difference in combatting climate change.

Symbolically, we opened the centre, a staw-bale building, on the 24th of October, which coincided with the International Day of Climate Action. The 350 wine bottle formation in the picture above denotes the critical level of C02 ppm in the atmosphere- for more information on the 350 campaign click here. You can see some of the pictures from the launch here, and the construction of the building here. SB