MEDIA RELEASE
Yealands Wine Group Founder and Principal, Peter Yealands, has been recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award at The
Drinks Business Green Awards 2016 for his continued innovation and commitment to sustainable practices. His company,
Yealands Wine Group (Yealands), on the same night received a Renewable Energy Implementation runner-up award for the
installation of the largest solar array in New Zealand on their winery roof.
The Drinks Business Lifetime Achievement Award looks for an individual who has “excelled throughout their career in
furthering environmental, sustainable or ethical practices in the drinks industry to the benefit and education of
others. This individual will have dedicated a significant part of their working life to environmental and/or ethical
causes. Whether in areas of production, marketing or management this individual will have a dedication to all matters
green or ethical and will have sought to introduce a culture of best practice in these areas where ever they have been
able to have some influence.”
Peter Yealands is the first New Zealander to have won this prestigious award since its inception in 2010, with previous
winners hailing from South Africa, Spain, France and the U.S.A. It’s a great achievement to put such a young
wine-producing company so firmly on the map through his uncompromising passion for sustainable winemaking practices. His
motto to “Think Boldly, Tread Lightly and Never Say It Can’t Be Done” speaks volumes for his approach to his career,
forever the innovator and forever dedicated to doing things differently with as little impact on the land as possible.
On 08.08.08, Peter opened the Yealands Estate Winery, a landmark building, guided throughout by the New Zealand Green
Building Code, it was the first in the world to be carboNZeroCertTM from inception. Some of Peter’s many innovations to
date include recyclable PET (plastic) bottles, miniature Babydoll sheep, burning of baled vine prunings for energy,
special composting from grape marc and playing classical music to the vines. His twin aspirational goals of energy
self-sufficiency and ‘carbon negative’ status have resulted in New Zealand’s largest solar panel installation across the
entire northern side of the Yealands Estate Winery, an initiative which received runner-up for the Renewable Energy
Implementation Award at The Drinks Business Green Awards 2016 and was noted by the judges to have come extremely close
to receiving the top award in this category.
Of Peter’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Patrick Schmitt MW, Editor-in-Chief of The Drink Business said, “We’re delighted
to have had the opportunity to award The Drinks Business Lifetime Achievement Award to Peter Yealands this year. He has
truly excelled throughout his career implementing many wonderful sustainable initiatives and furthering environmental
and sustainable practices in the wine industry.”
When Peter himself heard the news he thanked his team for this fantastic achievement. “I’m really delighted to be able
to accept this award; really it’s on behalf of my great team who are as passionate about sustainability as I am and have
helped me shape Yealands Family Wines over the past nine years. I’m truly humbled by this award and really, really
appreciative.”
This year in June, Peter was also honoured with a World Class New Zealand Award, New Zealand’s top individual
achievement awards presented annually by Kea. This award celebrated Peter’s outstanding international success and his
significant contributions to New Zealand’s social, economic, and cultural growth.
-Ends-
About Yealands Wine Group
Yealands Wine Group was formed in September 2011, when Yealands Estate acquired the well-established Hawke’s Bay
boutique winery, Crossroads, and successful Marlborough brand The Crossings. The combined entity is now one of the
largest privately-owned wine companies in New Zealand, with a global reach of more than 70 international markets.
The global brands of the combined portfolio include:
• Yealands Family Wines: Yealands Estate and Peter Yealands Wines
• Crossroads and The Crossings