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Green Bottles Hit Europe

A wine described as the "most environmentally integrated" wine product ever offered - complete with an Amorim natural cork - has gone on sale in Europe.

African Dawn is a range of wines produced by the Rooiberg Winery in South Africa. Rooiberg was the first cooperative winery to achieve membership of the Biodiversity and Wine Initiative, set up in 2004 by the South African wine industry and conservation groups.

Apart from embracing the principles of sustainable production, what sets African Dawn Wines apart is a decree that all product packaging - bottles, closures, labels and boxes - must meet its strict environmental policy.

The wine is already available in Holland, Germany, Belgium and South Africa and was recently launched in the world's biggest wine market, the UK and Ireland, marking another milestone in green consumerism.

In a move that has won the endorsement of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), one of the world's most trusted green organisations, African Dawn bottles are sealed with an Amorim cork approved by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Amorim is the first company in the world to achieve full 'chain of custody' certification from the FSC for a natural packaging product. The FSC certification covers both forest management and the processing of cork from certified forests and ensures that the cork production pathway from bark to bottle meets stringent environmental guidelines.

Amorim's marketing and communications director, Carlos de Jesus, says FSC certified corks are currently available from Amorim alone, as no other cork company has yet developed chain of custody.

"We believe that demand for packaging materials that are responsibly produced, and verifiably so, will only increase in the future," Mr de Jesus said.

African Dawn Wines managing director Rob van Prooijen said FSC certified cork was the perfect seal for a wine where the emphasis is on sustainability from production right through every aspect of packaging.

"Securing FSC certified cork to seal this wine was extremely important to us because the closure is a product of nature," he said.

WWF's logo appears on the bottle label, printed on paper that has also won FSC approval. A percentage of all African Dawn wine purchases goes towards saving endangered species and wildlife habitats worldwide.

The wine's UK importer, Bottle Green, described African Dawn as "the most environmentally integrated product initiative the wine industry has seen".

"African Dawn wines will appeal to the growing group of ethically aware consumers who want to feel that their purchase can make a difference," said Bottle Green's operations and marketing director, Richard Hitchcock.

With the increasing awareness of environmental issues amongst consumers there is growing demand from retailers for packaging suppliers to meet sustainable guidelines.

FSC certification is seen as the most effective way of balancing the environmental, cultural and economic values of forests and it gives cork producers an avenue for demonstrating their commitment to sustainable forest management and production.

"By sourcing raw material from FSC certified forests and through our chain of custody, Amorim meets the demand for sustainable natural packaging products," said Mr de Jesus.

This story is an excerpt from the newsletter "Bark to Bottle" found on the website www.corkfacts.com, a product of the Amorim Cork Company.

Other Related Links:
Cork as a Sustainable Managed Resource
Cork: History, Production, TCA Issues & Solutions
Amorim & Irmãos, S.A., Portugal's Cork Company
Quinta Nova Winery and Hotel Rural Quinta Nova
Quinta de Crasto
Green Bottles Hit Europe
Excessive Copper in Screw Capped Wine Bottles
Cheers to Willamette Valley Vineyards:
Oregon-based Winery First to Use Certified Sustainable Cork Stoppers

Fresh Seafood in Cafe In Lisbon, Portugal
Napa Valley, Vintners in Paris

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