At its heart it is the idea of leaving things better than we find them. Treading lightly. Nurturing and caring for the land, the vines, the people and the brand that make up this great business.

Sustainability then is a mindset, guiding everything we do, not a 1-off project, a check list or a sticker to put on a bottle. Much of it is simply good business. Sustainability is emphatically not the burying of cow horns stuffed with literal and metaphorical bull shit by the light of a full moon, or any other gimmick.

I'll die in a ditch arguing that climate change is real (it blows my mind I have to), and a direct threat to our livelihood though not our lives (Mudgee is a blessed location - we watch the news in horror and our hearts go out to those scorching in the drought to our west, while those to our east drown in the deluge.).

We keep records of temperatures, rainfall and harvest dates, wine chemistry. We know the difference it makes to ripen Cabernet in the cool of autumn vs the heat of summer. The difference between Bordeaux and Burgundy is a mere 2 degrees which speaks volumes about the impact of seemingly tiny shifts in temperature. We live with the impact of the increasing severity and frequency of extreme weather conditions and events - and our truly eye-watering insurance bill (which doesn’t cover the crop at all) is just one of many.

It is our duty to regenerate the ancient, lean soils that have been degraded by drought and monoculture, and to minimise our footprint with all the resources used to grow, make and sell wine. 

We vignerons are at the pointy end of farmers facing climate change - we have a climate sensitive crop and with our vines half a century old, the notion we can easily diversify or up sticks and plant our crop elsewhere simply doesn’t fly. However, as a fully vertically integrated operation, with a direct connection to our customers, we are well placed to manage our impact and use our platform to spread the word, so that's what we're doing here today. Thanks for reading! If you want to do your bit, then supporting businesses that are striving to be sustainable is a pretty good place to start.

WHAT HAVE WE DONE SO FAR?

SOLAR PUMPING (BORE) IN THE VINEYARD

An 11.6kW system installed in 2016 saw us through the terrible drought. We've only had 4 nights of switching on the back-up diesel pump in the 9 years since installation!

MOISTURE PROBES

We carefully monitor moisture levels down to 1M - we have 40cm of soil and gravel, with a layer of clay underneath where the roots live. This allows us to give each vineyard Block the irrigation it needs, eliminating waste and building an understanding of how and when to water for the best results. 

MID-ROW COVER CROP

Each year we sow a diverse crop (winter wheat, clover and various other legumes and beets / radishes) plus organic fertiliser in between the rows for many reasons. To outcompete weeds which means we don't need to spray weedkiller; to improve soil health (chemistry, % organic matter and structure); to encourage worms and other beneficial insects; to prevent run-off when rain is heavy, and loss of topsoil and moisture in drought and wind. In the early growing season, we slash and throw the growth sideways to mulch under vine.

ORGANIC FERTILISER

We regularly test soil health and apply only organic fertiliser to address any deficiencies - both spreading, spraying and in liquid form directly via the irrigation system.

COMPOSTING GRAPE MARC

We compost grape skins and seeds post-vintage, combining it with manure and local wood chips in large piles at the top of the vineyard. This rich, black compost is spread under the vines and in the gardens and grounds to boost soil health, nourish and protect (as mulch). 

BIODIVERSITY AREAS

We have 10Ha of long established 'wild zones' around the vineyard full of native flora and fauna. In addition, Local Landcare supplied us with over 200 native trees and shrubs indigenous to the area in 2021. These plants have been nurtured and are now well established in a beautiful nature strip between Blocks 1 & 2, as well as around the gardens and grounds. Biodiversity builds the health of the whole ecosystem, providing habitat for native wildlife, and reduces the need for intervention to manage pests and disease.  

VINEYARD RENEWAL WITH DROUGHT & HEAT TOLERANT VARIETIES

We have planted 5 Hectares of Grenache, a variety that thrives in the toughest of conditions - the leanest soils and the hottest seasons and requires very little water; and have renewed some of Block 2 and 3 - sections of older vines within the Blocks that were no longer performing. 

SOLAR POWER IN THE WINERY

A huge 87.12 kW system was installed in 2020 and fully paid off in April 2025! 618 Mega Watt Hours of electricity produced so far which is the equivalent of 7,723 trees planted. A total of 398,030.3kg of CO2 emissions saved. In 2024, solar generated 62% of the total energy we consumed in the winery. Outside vintage (the chiller is on 24hrs Jan - June) that number is closer to 80%!

LED LIGHTING IN THE BARREL HALL

The Barrel Hall is a huge dark space with 7M high ceilings, designed to maintain a stable temperature for wine making and storage. In 2023 we replaced all lights with LEDs for a brighter, safer, cleaner workspace and a significant reduction in power consumption.  

MORE EFFICIENT PLANT & EQUIPMENT

Our new spray cart uses lower rates of chemical because it is more efficient in delivery and effectively sprays two rows at a time, reducing diesel usage. The new chiller unit is significantly more efficient, which is a key driver of energy saving, and automatic thermostats on tanks reduce power consumption too.  

MINIMAL PACKAGING

We use the lightest glass bottles that meet our quality specification, delivered in bulk by B-Double once a year to save freight and carbon footprint. We sell in 12 or 15 case lots.

REDUCED PRODUCTION

Grow less, harvest less, make less, sell less, transport less. It's an occupational hazard to produce all you grow, rather than what you need. We choose quality over quantity and make enough.

HARVESTING RAINWATER

Utilising our excess production capacity in the winery (we have multiple 20,000L tanks but no one makes batches of wine that big anymore) we harvest enough rainwater from our enormous roof to sustain us throughout the year.