The New Zealand wine industry insists that its new target to be 20% organic by 2020 is not part of an attempt to solve its oversupply issues, but a means to boost its green image and further differentiate its wines.
The target, set this week by Organic Winegrowers New Zealand and supported by national grapegrower body New Zealand Winegrowers, would help the industry further enhance the country's image as a "clean, pure land", said Chris Yorke, global marketing director for NZW.
However, David Cox, European director of NZW, stressed that the focus on organic wine was not a means to solve the country's oversupply problems.
Instead, the industry was countering the challenge by restricting the overall amount of wine produced over the past year, he said.
Production has also been revised over the past few years to place a greater emphasis on organic.
The amount of NZ vineyard land under organic certification has tripled since 2008 to 1,500ha or 4.5% of the total. New Zealand's wider wine industry has already set itself a target of 100% sustainability by 2012, which is 93% complete in terms of vineyard area while production is 85% certified sustainable.
Large wine suppliers have backed the initiative. Pernod Ricard's Brancott Estate winery previously Montana already has 5% of its vineyards at organic standard or under conversion, said chief winemaker Patrick Materman. Brancott already has an organic wine, Living Land, in the New Zealand market and Materman could "easily see" 20% of the vineyard going organic over the coming years.
Pernod Ricard's plans for the UK could see the launch of an organic wine, said Matthew Bird, head of marketing for wines.
However, the current focus was on the transition from Montana and introduction of NPD such as new sparkling Sauvignon Blanc Brut (rsp: £12.99), which launches in August.
The wine would tap into the UK's ongoing appreciation of NZ sparkling wine, which was described as an area of "profitable and prominent growth", by a Pernod Ricard spokesman.
The target, set this week by Organic Winegrowers New Zealand and supported by national grapegrower body New Zealand Winegrowers, would help the industry further enhance the country's image as a "clean, pure land", said Chris Yorke, global marketing director for NZW.
However, David Cox, European director of NZW, stressed that the focus on organic wine was not a means to solve the country's oversupply problems.
Instead, the industry was countering the challenge by restricting the overall amount of wine produced over the past year, he said.
Production has also been revised over the past few years to place a greater emphasis on organic.
The amount of NZ vineyard land under organic certification has tripled since 2008 to 1,500ha or 4.5% of the total. New Zealand's wider wine industry has already set itself a target of 100% sustainability by 2012, which is 93% complete in terms of vineyard area while production is 85% certified sustainable.
Large wine suppliers have backed the initiative. Pernod Ricard's Brancott Estate winery previously Montana already has 5% of its vineyards at organic standard or under conversion, said chief winemaker Patrick Materman. Brancott already has an organic wine, Living Land, in the New Zealand market and Materman could "easily see" 20% of the vineyard going organic over the coming years.
Pernod Ricard's plans for the UK could see the launch of an organic wine, said Matthew Bird, head of marketing for wines.
However, the current focus was on the transition from Montana and introduction of NPD such as new sparkling Sauvignon Blanc Brut (rsp: £12.99), which launches in August.
The wine would tap into the UK's ongoing appreciation of NZ sparkling wine, which was described as an area of "profitable and prominent growth", by a Pernod Ricard spokesman.
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