Johan Reyneke: Viticulture and Wine Creation Award

Johan Reyneke, South African pioneer of organic and biodynamic winemaking from Stellenbosch, was honoured with the Viticulture and Wine Creation Award. 

The criteria for this award include the development of new ideas, technologies and methods within the wine-making industry, implementation and transfer thereof, changing mindsets, and benefitting the South African wine industry in general.

Reyneke was a postgraduate student in environmental ethics at Stellenbosch University when he took over farming from his mother on their family farm Uitzicht in the Polkadraai hills. His experience in the vineyard together with the insights he gained during his studies, led him to start farming in a more environmentally friendly way. He converted the farm to organic in 2000 and established it as one of the first internationally certified organic and biodynamic vineyards in South Africa. Reyneke Wines was one of the first organic wineries in South Africa to receive a five-star rating in Platter's Wine Guide. In 2020, UK wine writer Tim Atkin named Reyneke as Grower of the Year in his report on South Africa.