CAPE JAFFA WINES CERTIFICATION
Biodynamic fruit and certified to boot!
Cape Jaffa Wines’ vineyard achieves full biodynamic certification MOUNT BENSON ? 9 April 2008: Mount Benson’s founding winery and pioneer in biodynamic winegrowing on the Limestone Coast Cape Jaffa Wines (www.capejaffawines.com.au) has completed requirements to become one of South Australia’s largest fully-certified biodynamic winegrowers, a process some four years in the making.
The certification granted by Australian Certified Organic (ACO) sees Cape Jaffa Wines’ entire vineyard become a fully-certified biodynamic operation. This consists of a biodynamic producer certification for the vineyard as well as an organic processor certification for its winery.
The Mount Benson operation is only one of a select few wineries in the state that have decided to go through the certification process.
“Cape Jaffa’s decision to become certified was one largely based on our commitment to consumers. There’s a lot of confusion surrounding biodynamic farming and we’re hoping to change that,” says general manager Derek Hooper.
“A lot of overseas markets don’t allow products to be labelled or marketed as organic or biodynamic unless they are certified, and it’s likely that Australia will follow suit and tighten their own regulations sooner rather than later.”
The ACO accreditation validates Cape Jaffa’s commitment to biodynamic vineyard management which has been developing over the last 12 years, and this year a certified product line will be released.
Biodynamic vineyard management is an advanced form of organic farming based on the idea of the farm as a self-sustaining organism. Growing using biodynamic practices from a winemaker’s point of view means the wine created bears a close relationship to the soil and climate that it is grown in, and therefore expresses the true regionality of where it is grown.
CAPE JAFFA WINES established in 1993 pioneered organic and biodynamic winegrowing in Mount Benson, South Australia. It is committed to growing regionally distinctive fruit and producing wines that are a true reflection of its unique site. The Cape Jaffa philosophy is to tread lightly through its environment, use biodynamic techniques to manage the vineyard and employ sustainable practices in the winery that minimise environmental impact.