South African winemaker Bosman Family Vineyards has established itself as one of the world's leading ethical wine producers by winning the Fairtrade Award at the 2012 International Wine Challenge in the United Kingdom.

The Fairtrade Award is for wine-producing regions which are officially recognised as being part of the Fairtrade Association.

Wines are judged on their individual merits and the award is presented to the highest quality wine at the IWC with Fairtrade certification.

Bosman Family Vineyards was also the only South African winery to win one of the trophies at this year's show.

The winning wine was the 2011 Wild Valley Chenin Blanc from the premium Fairtrade range of Sainsbury's, Taste The Difference, and is made from the Bosman Fairtrade Chenin Blanc vineyards from the Wellington Wine region.

The judges described the wine as "floral with white fruit aromas, fresh acidity, appealing grapefruit honey flowers and a rich creamy, bready texture".

The wine is available from Sainsbury's in the United Kingdom at £7.99 (about R107).

"South Africa is the leader in sustainable and ethical wine production in the world and we are excited that a South African wine is recognised in this way and that such outstanding quality can actually be produced in an ethical and environmentally responsible way," chief executive officer of Wines of South Africa, Su Birch, said in a statement.

Bosman Family Vineyards managing director Petrus Bosman said: "Our story at Bosman Family Vineyards is still being written and as a young team, we are very aware that the pages we are on today is the result of the hard work and dedication of those that have written our story before us.

"Farming with sustainable principles is something that has been carried over from one generation to the next in our family and our experience has been that the quality of your product increases over time when you consistently invest in people and nature."

Three hundred and thirty-eight judges from 25 countries tasted 21 609 different wines from over 50 countries.

The International Wine Challenge is one of the world's largest and most comprehensive blind wine-tasting competitions, and the organisation was founded in 1983.

Source: SouthAfrica.info
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