Backsberg is South Africa's first carbon neutral wine estate. Michael Back has made headlines and history in South Africa by becoming the first wine farmer there - and only the third in the world - to be recognised as carbon neutral. "We are rather pleased with ourselves at having managed to do that," he says.

"When you see all the issues of the environment all over the newspapers, you start to look at your own place. "As landowners we are custodians of that land for a very short period of time. We need to leave the land and environment in a better place than in which we found it."

In order to obtain the precious "Carbon Neutral Approved" sticker that now adorns all Backsberg bottles, Michael had to submit to a carbon audit - carried out in January 2007 - which measured the farm's carbon footprint and recommended ways to offset his emissions. If we want to maintain our position on the shelves in the next five to 10 years, we're all going to have to monitor our activities in the environment. The result was a "village greening" project in nearby Klapmuts, a poor community with high unemployment, which provides seasonal labour for the surrounding vineyards. In some of the small gardens in front of the one-storey breezeblock houses, slender saplings of acacia and willow droop in the winter rain.

Trees are much prized in a region with scorching summers for the shade they provide - and more than 900 have been planted in Klapmuts as part of Mr Back's offset programme. The project has been overseen by the environmental organisation, Trees For Africa, which also provides his certification.