Traceability

It is an important principle in ensuring food safety that products can be traced back to source, all along the supply chain. All operators in the chain (from wine grape grower, to wine producer, to supplier of substances intended to be incorporated into wine, to distributor, to exporter, to retailer) must be able to identify any person or business from whom they have been supplied with wine or any substance intended to be incorporated into wine (one step back); and to whom they have supplied wine or any substance intended to be incorporated into wine (one step forward).

Everyone must also have accurate records of each step in the process. The Wine of Origin system traces the bottle of wine all the way back to the vineyard and the new seal links the vineyard to the growing practices in that vineyard. This is a highly sophisticated degree of traceability, which is being universally applied across the South African wine industry.

Other designators for traceability on our wine bottles are the A number, which can be used to identify the seller when the address is not given on the label, and the lot number.

Check your wine!