With commitment to land comes responsibility.
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Our family of five Yarra Valley vineyards are managed by many patient hands, all of which are devoted to our ongoing sustainability efforts. Our commitment to our land is unerring, with our team constantly seeking out ways to implement new and innovative sustainability practises in our vineyards and winery.
These include, but are not limited to, drip irrigation, planting cover crops, composting, conscious water consumption and our winery being powered by solar energy. Read on to discover our sustainability initiatives employed across our vineyards and winery.
In Our Vineyards
Drip Irrigation | All five of our sites are drip irrigated which provides us with the most control over water management. Each vine has its own dripper, targeting the base of the vine to ensure minimal wastage.
Soil Testing | We conduct regular soil tests to uncover exactly what our sites are in need of and distributing those specifics accordingly, ensuring no wastage and unlocking full block potential.
Conscious Spraying | Our growing period sees minimal interference with foliage control. We only apply minimal fungicide sprays (generally 10 applications per season) and keep our pesticide use to an absolute minimum.
Cover Crops | During our dormant period, all our vines are hand pruned. The cane prunings are mulched back into every other mid-row, while the opposite mid-rows are cultivated with clover, barley, vetch and the like. This adds structure, prevents erosion, delivers nitrogen and attracts beneficial insects.
Composting | During vintage, all grape marc is composted over 12-18 months and reapplied under vine. This compost also consists of scraps from our restaurant kitchen and re-cycled cardboard from our cellar door.
Hay | We grow and cut our own hay, which then becomes part of our composting. Its also spread under vine as mulch, keeping moisture in our soils and reducing weed pressure.
In Our Winery
Solar Power | Our winery is now powered by solar, bringing our total solar production area up to 250kW which covers our site’s daylight energy requirements on average.
Conscious Chemistry | We choose cleaning chemistry that is kinder to the environment, removing the need for water intensive rinsing protocols.
Conscious Water Consumption | We use non-potable water for our general washdown, along with water efficient pressure-washers and nozzles.
Cellulose-Based Additives | We choose cellulose-based additives that inhibit tartrate crystallisation, instead of using traditional cold stabilisation which is energy-intensive. This greatly reduces refrigeration demand and electricity consumption.