KEY POINTS:
You're walking past a New Zealand vineyard and you spy a sign on the fence that identifies the plot of vines as part of the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand programme run by New Zealand Winegrowers.
Seeing the sign evokes a cascade of words and images, such as "natural", "green", "untainted", "chemical-free", which make you feel better about the world. Sustainability's all good.
But, perception and reality don't always dance in step. Does your idea of sustainability allow for herbicides to scorch the earth beneath the vines? Rampant insecticide use? Or for the deployment of arsenic-treated timber posts in vine trellis systems? These are just some of the practices that are deemed OK by the Sustainable Winegrowing programme.
Now, I'm no scientist or horticulturist or any kind of expert in the field. I'm just an interested observer. And to be fair I should report the programme isn't promoting rampant chemical use. Off-limits are the really nasty residual chemicals employed 15 or so years ago, as are the broad-spectrum insecticides that kill indiscriminately. We should be thankful for that.
Nonetheless, I was disappointed to discover just what is regarded as earth-friendly by this sustainability programme. And I don't think my perceptions are far off those of the average wine buyer in London or New York. From all the information I've absorbed on the subject over the years, the late-20th-century passion for sowing chemicals along with seeds is not regarded as one of humanity's finest hours.
I was equally disappointed, but not surprised, to hear of the uneven support the Sustainability Programme is receiving from wine producers around the country.
"Doesn't go far enough - it's like a sustainability new entrants class," was one comment. Another producer was quitting the programme because it seemed pointless to go to the bureaucratic effort demanded when his own regime, which leans towards organics, went a lot further.
Years ago, New Zealand Winegrowers, the organisation that represents our wineries, attached to its name the line "riches of a clean, green land". It was a prescient move, given the burgeoning obsession with maintaining the planet's health. But those words must be backed up with real action. If this is only a first step, a bigger one should be made very soon. We don't have much time.
Recommended
2006 Huntaway Reserve Chardonnay
This was a real surprise: a lower-priced chardonnay that is taut and elegant. The fruit isn't too fleshy, the acidity is balanced, the flavours (savoury, prune, rice pudding) are restrained. Retails for $21.95.
