It gives us great pleasure to announce that Cloof recently became South Africa's third Biodiversity & Wine Initiative (BWI) Champion, joining Vergelegen and Graham Beck. Our neighbouring property, Burghers Post, was simultaneously named Champion in its own right.

This is the highest form of certification from the BWI and is reserved for producers who are exemplary in their protection of the Cape Floral Kingdom (CFK).

The CFK is an incredibly diverse plantsphere, with more species than the whole of the Northern Hemisphere. This diversity is a response to the varying conditions – terroirs – around the Western Cape, as well as the marginal soils in many parts of the region.

We realise that vitis vinifera, while not an invasive species, is itself an alien to the Cape. As landowners the least we can do is to take responsiblity for the custodianship of our environment. And, the more successfully we sell our wines, the greater the resources we'll have at our disposal to continue our joint projects of conservation and rehabilitation.

Whereas indigenous plant species in the CFK have adapted and mutated in response to varying growing conditions, vines respond by producing grapes that demonstrate variety in the wines made from them. In this respect our wines are authentic examples of a valid wine style – representatives of Cloof's unique growing conditions.

Given conditions such as climate change and ongoing species extinction we are pleased to be able to make our contribution to the environment.