Australian family-owned winery De Bortoli Wines has won the inaugural Winery Innovator of the Year trophy at the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) in London this week.

The only Australian winery to be shortlisted for the award, De Bortoli Wines won the trophy for being an innovative driver in the global wine industry from vineyard-to-glass.

In particular, the winery was recognised for continuing to be at the forefront of Australia’s pale dry Rosé movement. The unique packaging on its new Rosé Rosé, features a colour side-embossed screw cap that is the first closure decoration of its kind in the world. The technology combined several elements, resulting in just the rose being embossed. The label and the rose on the cap are aligned during the bottling process, presenting the brand personality across the entire bottle.

In presenting the award, the judges said “De Bortoli have produced an integrated innovation, a visual tactile way of bringing the essence of what’s in the bottle to the outside.”

Kim Wilson, Managing Director of North South Wines Ltd, De Bortoli Wines’ distributor for the UK market accepted the award on behalf of the company, congratulating the business on its leadership in winemaking innovation.

Sustainability is also core to the De Bortoli family’s drive for innovation, being widely recognised for their quest to become a zero waste winery through wise water management, energy efficiency and improved waste management. With a vision for a future where great wine and a healthy environment can be enjoyed by everyone, De Bortoli Wines is also embarking on a significant undertaking to convert up to 15% of its vineyards in the New South Wales’ Riverina region to organic in five years.