A South African winemaker judges success from the ground up

A South African winemaker judges success from the ground up

South Africa’s pioneer of organic and biodynamic winemaking, Johan Reyneke is spreading the word that organic farming is good for business.

Although less than 1 per cent of his country’s wine production is certified organic, as a founding member of Organic Wines South Africa , he’s working to develop the sector and claim more market share.

A philosophy grad student and avid surfer turned farmer, Johan Reyneke founded the Stellenbosch winery in 1998.

The push is motivated by demand, he says. Younger consumers are driving the sales growth of organic wines, which they see as representing better quality and being better for the environment.

Despite an overall decline in wine sales around the world, consumer interest in the orga