Sustainability

The Woollaston Estates philosophy is to respect the environment while growing grapes and making wine; to tread lightly and leave as small a footprint as possible.

Sustainability was central in the establishment and development of Woollaston Estates long before it became the industry's favourite buzz-word. The project commenced in 2001, with the planting of vineyards and construction of a multi-level gravity-fed winery built into the hillside with a roof of tussock and shrubs designed for gentle handling of grapes and wine.

The vineyards were certified as sustainable in 2004, a close fit with the company's philosophy of taking a gentle and natural approach and being part of the land, rather than on the land. Conversion to organic production under BioGro commenced in 2008, with full certification expected in 2011.

The vineyards are now in their third year of organic management, and second year in conversion. Vineyard Manager, Julian Coakley, has seen increasing vine and soil health under organic management combined with increased insect life and biodiversity. By avoiding the use of artificial fertilizer, any herbicides or non BioGro certified fungicides the vines' natural strength and resistance has increased dramatically.

Although the visible work carried out by vineyard staff of nurturing the vines, pruning, bud rubbing, leaf plucking and bunch thinning are all essential to ensure healthy balanced vines that will produce top quality fruit, what happens beneath and between the vines is also critical to success. Many initiatives central to organic and sustainable production have been incorporated into the vineyards.

By working with nature Woollaston Estates has encouraged natural predators in the vines to replace the use of insecticides. Healthy soil is maintained by returning composted waste to the vineyard, and sheep and machinery are used to control grass and weeds instead of herbicides. As a result the vineyards are teeming with life – plants, insects, mammals, birds and microflora – that when balanced act as an extra team of workers. These techniques contribute to healthy fruit and vines, maintain healthy soil and minimise the impact on the environment.

Over winter 300 sheep graze on the weeds and grass in the vineyards to delay the use of mechanical mowers and weeders, thereby reducing diesel consumption. The sheep live in the vines until early spring when the temptation of fresh young shoots and leaves on the vines becomes too strong.

By early spring, Mustard, phacelia, buckwheat and alyssum will spring up between every tenth row of vines. Not only do the flowers provide a splash of colour and scent, but they play an important role in providing nectar, pollen and shelter for tiny native wasps and hoverflies. These in turn prey on vineyard pests such as the leaf-roller caterpillar.

Sheep and insects are not the only creatures employed in the vineyard. By composting waste ingredients from the vineyards, winery and offices Woollaston Estates produce their own compost which encourages the growth of microflora - microscopic organisms which improve the quality and health of the soil in the vineyard. While many vineyards mulch their prunings in the vineyard, Woollaston Estates collect the prunings to make compost. These are mulched and combined in layers with waste products from the winemaking process - skins, pips and stalks - along with shredded waste paper from the offices, grass clippings and other green waste. Once finished, the compost is spread throughout the vineyard, distributing colonies of microflora to grow and improve soil condition.

In Summer, ripening grapes are a favourite of introduced bird species such as starlings, thrushes and waxeyes. Below the winery native trees and shrubs - cabbage trees, flax, kowhai, and pittosporum - have been planted to encourage an increase in the native bird population which do not eat grapes. There is some evidence that increased numbers of native birds reduce the numbers of introduced birds, and the sight and song of the woodpigeons, tuis, bellbirds and kingfishers is evident around the estate.

With hard work, and a lot of help from nature, Woollaston Estates is consistently producing award winning wines from organic vineyards in the knowledge that the land and environment where the grapes are grown is healthy, balanced, sustainable and will continue to produce wonderful fruit for generations to come.

The gravity-fed winery was also designed with sustainability in mind, and received accreditation under Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand in 2006. Gravity moves the wine through the 18m high building, minimising the use of pumps which reduces electricity use as well as aiding the gentle handling of the wine. Power is also saved in the heating and cooling of the insulated wine tanks which is managed precisely via a sophisticated computer system, and the concrete winery building is passively cooled, being partly buried in a south-facing hillside and insulated by its 'living roof'.