MEDIA RELEASE
21 November 2012
The International Green Awards Crowns Yealands Estate World Leader in Sustainable Wine Production
Yealands Estate wins ‘Most Sustainable Medium Business’ in leading global sustainability awards
Yealands Estate has been awarded the leading ‘Sustainable Medium Business’ at the International Green Awards. The
Marlborough Winery is the only New Zealand organisation and only winery globally recognised by the leading
sustainability awards.
The International Green Awards were created with the aim of identifying companies that have exhibited leadership and
innovation in their sustainability approach.
Founder of Yealands Estate, Peter Yealands, says this global recognition marks a coming of age for the winery.
“We set out with a vision of best practice from the vine to the bottle. Since launch, our goal has been to produce
world-class wines and become a global leader in sustainable wine production. This award, in addition to recently winning
the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world at the International Wine Challenge, demonstrates that we’re well on the way to
achieving that dream.”
The Most Sustainable Medium Business category is open to medium enterprises around the world, with total revenues
between $10 million and $100 million. The judges commented that their aim was to reward an organisation that is
innovating, challenging traditional wisdom and can show impressive first-hand results that can be replicated with other
businesses. All entries were judged anonymously, to avoid any prejudice.
“Yealands Estate continually strives to improve our sustainable practices. For us sustainability is about using
resources in a smarter way, which guarantees future supply and our profitability. We’re conscious that our commitment
needs to be tangible; being green is an integral part of who we are, and for us it is essential to producing world-class
wines.”
New Zealand Winegrowers Chief Executive, Philip Gregan, says the win recognises New Zealand as a global leader in sustainable wine production.
“The New Zealand Wine industry is committed to sustainable wine production and it’s a great endorsement that one of our
producers has been recognised on the international stage.”
The winners were announced last night at the International Green Awards ceremony at Battersea Power Station, London.
ENDS
About Yealands Estate
Yealands Estate is New Zealand’s leading environmentally sustainable winery based in the Awatere Valley, Marlborough.
Developed by entrepreneur Peter Yealands, the privately owned winery features advanced green technology in every aspect
of design and function.
It received carboNZeroCertTM certification in April 2009 and in doing so was the largest winery in New Zealand to achieve this status for its
organisation and wine products. The winery and vineyard is also accredited under Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand and
was recently announced the international runner up for the “Green Company Of The Year” category in the Drinks Business
2012 Green Awards, in the UK.
Yealands Estate wines launched to great acclaim in August 2008 and have collected more than 300 awards to date,
including the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc at the International Wine Challenge (2012) which goes to show that being
green also means making a great drop.