Our Sustainability Accolades

Here at Yalumba, we have always adopted sustainable practices. Not because they are fashionable nor because they are a mandated business requirement, but simply because it is the right thing to do. Below is a complete list of accolades and awards that acknowledge our commitment to sustainable winemaking.

June 1998 Ibis Award finalist
Acknowledgement of the outstanding efforts of Yalumba in integrating wildlife conservation with successful, commercial, sustainable farming.

May 2002 Banksia Awards finalist
Corporate Responsibility and Leadership Category.

July 2002 Royal Australian Institute of Architects Commendation
In recognition of excellent use of local and/​or recycled building materials, appropriate selection of heating and cooling systems and ecologically sustainable design.

October 2002 Yalumba’s Commitment described as an International Model
Denis Bellamy, Professor Emeritus of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy in the University of Wales and chairman of the UK Conservation Management System (CMS) Consortium, described Yalumba’s commitment to sustainable winemaking as an international model based on research that was “…excellent in theory, methodology and critical evaluation…”.

June 2003 Commonwealth’s Energy Efficiency Best Practice Program
Yalumba’s Oxford Landing Winery was featured in the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Tourism and Resources publication entitled: A guide to energy efficiency innovation in Australian wineries — Energy Efficiency Best Practice, published in 2003.

June 2005 ISO14001 Environmental Management System
Registration covers environmental management system for processes involved in the retrieval of grapes, winemaking processes, the filling, packaging, storage and distribution of red, white, fortified, sparkling wines and spirits

August 2005 Public Recognition by South Australia’s Environment Protection Authority
Yalumba is one of three industry achievers with a write-up on the EPA website www​.epa​.sa​.gov​.au/​i​n​d​ustry

August 2005 Launch of Vitis
Yalumba’s Total Quality Environmental Management in Vineyards.

Sep 2005 Business Leadership Award finalist
For outstanding achievement in the promotion and facilitation of greenhouse gas action within the industry.

October 2005 Environmental and Energy Management Award
10^th annual Rabobank agribusiness awards for excellence 2005.

December 2005 Yalumba Uncorks Sustainable Practice
Government of South Australia advertisement, publicised on the 6 December 2005 and 17 January 2006 in the Advertiser and the Independent Weekly on the 11 December promoting their drive towards the state’s environmental sustainability

December 2005 Greenhouse Challenge Plus — Leader status
First Australian Company to be awarded leadership status in the area of greenhouse management by the Australian Greenhouse Office.

June 2006 Competency-Based Training – Implement Environmental Policies and Procedures
This is a course covering the skills and knowledge required to implement environmental policies and procedures when carrying out work responsibilities – ostensibly Yalumba is the first wine company in Australia to have such a course delivered at the workplace.

July 2006 National Packaging Covenant Council
“… The most comprehensive plan documented to date, incorporating a full eco-production approach to packaging and related issues. Yalumba are to be congratulated” – Ed Cordner, CEO NPCC

January 2007 National Packaging Covenant Council
​“An outside body [has] independently assess[ed] all Action Plans and Annual Reports. The assessors have provided the following feedback. Yalumba is to be congratulated on what is an extraordinary level of documentation of both the outcomes and processes of their environmental practices, with the NPC linked to other sustainability initiatives. With both data and narrative, and with appendices, the reader gains an enormous insight into the operational side of the organisation’s environmental practices and challenges. …” – Adele Weston, Administrative Officer, NPCC

January 2007 Greenhouse Management Recognition
​“Your company comes with high praise from Australia as a model for other wineries throughout the world.” – Kristen Taddonio, Strategic Projects Manager, Climate Protection Partnerships Division, U.S. EPA

February 2007 Climate Protection Award (US EPA)
​“On behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it is my pleasure to inform you that the Yalumba Wine Company has been selected to receive a 2007 Climate Protection Award. This award places Yalumba among some of the world’s most accomplished businesses and organizations working to protect the climate.” – Kristen Taddonio, Strategic Projects Manager, Climate Protection Partnerships Division, U.S. EPA

June 2007 Corporate Communications Institute – Practitioner Best Paper Award
The paper,​“Sharing Yalumba – Communicating Yalumba’s Commitment to Sustainable Winemaking”, was presented at the 2007 Conference on Corporate Communication organised by the Corporate Communication Institute and held at the Wroxton (UK) Campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University.

November 2007 International Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice (Au and NZ Silver Winner 2007)
Yalumba’s​Commitment to Sustainable Winemaking’ programme recognised at the House of Commons, England, for its contribution to environmental best practice and sustainable development. The Green Organisation is an independent, non-political, non-activist, non-profit environment group dedicated to recognising, rewarding and promoting environmental best practice around the world. The Green Apple Awards for Environmental Best Practice and Sustainable Development are accredited by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce (RSA).

December 2007 Greenhouse Gas Accounting Protocol for the International Wine Industry, developed by Yalumba and Provisor Pty Ltd
The protocol was developed for the New World wine industry, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States, using Yalumba’s life cycle analysis as a foundation.

August 2008 Beverage Packaging Action Award (Category 1 of the Packaging Evolution Awards)
Yalumba was nominated for the award by the National Packaging Covenant Council. It won the award for demonstrable commitment to packaging waste management using an action plan that (a) minimises environmental impacts from the disposal of used packaging; (b) conserves resources through better design and production processes; © facilitates the re-use and recycling of used packaging materials.

June 2009 Systems Excellence Award
Yalumba was nominated as one of four finalists in the Environmental Management System – Systems Excellence Awards Category. These awards demonstrate excellence in performance against internationally recognised principles in business management systems for SAI Global certified companies.

June 2009 Beverage Packaging Action Award (Category 1 of the Packaging Evolution Awards)
Yalumba was re-nominated for the award by the National Packaging Covenant Council “…because of [its] efforts in sustainability.” Yalumba reached the finalist stage. Finalist Primary Producer of the Year

2009 Finalist Environment and Energy Management Award

November 2009 NAB Agribusiness Awards For Excellence

November 2009 SA Great – Regional Award for Sustainability
Yalumba was peer-nominated for this regional award. The following was extracted from the​‘2009 SA Great​‘Barossa’ Regional Awards Winners’ webpage:​“Five generations and 160 years later, Yalumba is Australia’s oldest family-owned winery. It has grown in size and stature, embodying all that has made the Australian wine success story the envy of winemakers the world over. Yalumba has been at the forefront of introducing new wine styles to Australian drinkers over the past decade. The company also leads the industry in environmental performance reducing carbon emissions, increasing biodiversity and exploring organic viticulture. Yalumba has recently been named by The Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide, as their Winery of the Year in the 2010 edition.”

May 2010 Accredited Sustainability Licence
South Australian Environment Protection Authority acknowledges Yalumba’s work in the field of sustainability by awarding the first accredited sustainability licence. Paul Caica, Minister for Environment and Conservation, congratulated The Yalumba Wine Company on being the first to receive the licence following rigorous assessments and demonstrative application of best practice standards.

July 2010 Food Challenge Award
Yalumba receives the​‘Food Challenge Award, Sustainable Manufacturing’ award following a peer nomination in May 2010.

October 2010 Advantage SA – Regional Award for Sustainability
Yalumba was one of three finalists in the category​‘Sustainability’. This category recognises the outstanding achievements of regional South Australians for their adoption of sustainable measures and minimising their environmental footprint.

October 2010 Advantage SA – 2010 South Australia of the Year Awards Environment Category Commendation
“… the 2010 Environment Judging Panel asked that The Yalumba Wine Company be highly commended for its outstanding contribution to the State.” N. Seymour-Smith, CEO, Advantage SA, Monday, 1^st November 2010. The commendation was announced on the 11^th
of November during a Civic Reception at the Adelaide Town Hall hosted by the Right Honourable Lord Mayor of Adelaide, Michael Harbison.

March 2011 The Drinks Business Green Awards – Finalist Sustainability Category
The Oxford Landing Estates and Winery were one of four finalists in this category. This category recognised the efforts made to employ the most efficient and effective sustainable practices in their business whether in the production facilities or their agricultural practices.

May 2011 ISO14001 Reaccreditation (Certificate No. CEM20203)
Yalumba’s environmental management system was audited and recertified in June 2014. The auditor from SAI Global commented that ​“The Yalumba Wine Company continues to be an industry leader in environmental management. The company had committed to sustainable winemaking backed up with a number of public statements. Other initiatives include the work undertaken on Life Cycle Analysis and enhancing communications within Yalumba. There were no non-conformance (sic) raised during the audit and Yalumba has performed well over the certification period. Hence, it is recommended that certification to ISO 14001:2004 continues. The auditor acknowledges the assistance of Yalumba staff involved in the re-certification audit.”

10 June 2011 South Australian Architecture Awards: Robert Dickson Award for Interior Architecture
The award was presented to Yalumba — Signature — Cellar and Tanks 11 & 12 by Grieve Gillett, a project described by the jury as having been “… aged for decades in the bowels of Yalumba Cellars to celebrate 160 years of winemaking. …Existing fabric and new work has been clearly defined with minimal intrusions, emphasising the beauty of the worn building fabric. How can galvanised pipes, second-hand doors, and handles from the back of the shed be so sexy? The jury had no hesitation in awarding the Robert Dickson Award for Interior Architecture for this project ” (extracted from​‘2011 SA Architecture Awards: Jury Citations’ – Media Release by the Australian Institute of Architects). The architecture embodies Yalumba’s approach to balancing tradition and modernity with considered retention and a celebration of existing heritage qualities. It is a graceful way of​‘re-loving’, reusing and recycling redundant material.

July 2011 President’s Medal, Royal Agricultural Society of NSW
Glenn Dudley, President of NSW’s Royal Agricultural Society, congratulated Yalumba on being the ​‘best of the best’ in Australian agricultural production:​“The President’s Medal recognises Australian producers that create the highest quality products using sustainable practices, all of which are crucial to the future of Australian agriculture.” The Medal is Australia’s only produce competition in which food and winemakers are evaluated on their ​‘triple bottom line’ performance.

November 2011 International Green Apple Award
The Green Organisation awarded Yalumba’s ​‘Commitment to Sustainable Winemaking’ programme the International Green Apple Gold Award at the House of Commons (U.K.) on November 14^th, 2011. The Green Apple Awards, which are accredited by the UK’s Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (aka RSA, or Royal Society of Arts), are reputedly the longest-running environmental awards in the world.

November 2011 International Green Award
Yalumba’s entry, ​‘Commitment to Sustainable Winemaking’ programme, was awarded Gold in the coveted International Green Awards for Creativity in Sustainability, category Best Green International Business Award (Medium). These awards, which are part of the Royal Society of Arts Environment Award Accreditation scheme, were launched in 2006 to critical acclaim. They were specifically established to recognise strategies that use creativity engagingly and effectively, leading to more sustainable outcomes. The winners were announced on the 24^th of November 2011 at London’s iconic Natural History Museum.

January 2012 People and Environment Achievements Awards 2012
Winner of the category​‘Environment Manager Award’. The PEA Business Awards recognise the exceptional leadership and vision that make a lasting impression and whose best practices and key strategies might inspire others in the future. Hosted by King Lion Media in association with GREEN Magazine, the quarterly magazine distributed by the Guardian, these awards showcase excellence and innovation. In particular, they celebrate the synergy between good business and environmental stewardship.

March 2012 The Drinks Business Green Awards 2012
Dr Cecil Camilleri, Yalumba’s manager of the wine firm’s sustainability programme, received the Personality of the Year award on the 26^th of March 2012. This award acknowledged that individual whose actions and initiatives were “… setting the standard in promoting better practice with regard to the environment at every level.” Yalumba’s sustainability programme was also shortlisted for the Sustainability Award.

November 2012 NAB Agribusiness Awards for Excellence 2012 – Environment, Energy and Climate Action in Agribusiness Award
In their 17^th year, these are reputably the premier agribusiness awards in Australia. The Environment, Energy and Climate Action award recognise (1) excellence in researching and developing new ways of managing and conserving environment and energy reserves and responding to the risks and opportunities posed by a changing climate; (2) demonstrable holistic approach to environmental management within a profitable agribusiness; (3) demonstrable influence on environmental management within communities, catchments and the broader industry.

November 2012 Australia and New Zealand Institute of Coaching – Cecil Camilleri: Finalist Coach of the Year 2012
Cecil’s nomination recognised his coaching for sustainability at Yalumba and in the general community. On being asked by ANZI Coaching what it means to be named a ​‘finalist’, Cecil replied:​“First of all, being named a ​‘finalist’ engenders a feeling of modesty and humility particularly when the principal aim for entering for the awards was ​‘benchmarking’. But more importantly, being named a​‘finalist’ also comes with some trepidation because the accolade comes with responsibility – the responsibility to live up to the high standard for which one is being recognised and to share one’s experience with others. Being a ​‘finalist’ also means that as a servant leader one must become accustomed to some extra- limelight because of the expectation to be more active as an advocate for what coaching stands for. And finally, being a ​‘finalist’ means gratitude: gratitude to one’s peers for their recognition and to all those individuals who, wittingly or unwittingly, but definitely selflessly, helped me along the journey.”

July 2013 International Award of Excellence in Sustainable Winegrowing
​“The fact that Yalumba operates its vineyards as ecosystems where everything is connected to everything else is impressive and truly commendable. This is the foundational stewardship tenant of conservation and biodiversity.” Dr S.H. Sohmer, president and director of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT). Based in Fort Worth, Texas, BRIT conducts global research, including major projects in Texas, Europe, Peru, and the Pacific Islands. Recognizing the natural connection between botany and winemaking, the Institute created the award in 2010 to applaud those winegrowers and winemakers who take a leading role in implementing sustainable practices and sharing their learnings. The award is endorsed by FIVS, the Paris-based global federation of wine beer and spirits.

October 2014 Climate Adaptation Champions: Business Category
​“The Barossa Valley-based winemaker’s Commitment to Sustainable Winemaking Program has operated for more than two decades and provides an integrated approach to sustainability through land and product stewardship, climate change mitigation and adaptation, waste management and organisational citizenship. The company remains firmly committed to sustainable techniques with regard to the protection of winemaking’s vital elements – air, water, soil and energy.”

September 2019 South Australian Wine Industry Association 2019 Environmental Excellence Award: Viticulture Category
Sponsored by Primary Industries and Regions SA, we were recognised for our work on projects including the establishment of innovative mid-row saltbush plantings, mulching vineyards to achieve a 25% reduction in water use and native mallee scrub revegetation.