Preventative disease management – We rely on canopy management to prevent the outbreak of disease. We do this through cane pruning for light crops by positioning the canopy to optimize airflow and light penetration. We also use Sulphur to protect the vines from powdery mildew and we avoid the use of synthetic chemicals. Sulphur is a natural product and is accepted in organic production.

Pest management – We use a system of Integrated Pest Management. This is a holistic approach that requires advanced understanding of the pest and its lifecycle.  It promotes control options that avoid the use of synthetic chemicals and instead encourages timely application of alternative control measures.

Irrigation – Due to the cool climate we only apply irrigation when it is needed to keep the vine canopy functioning. We use soil moisture monitoring technology.  This prevents water wastage without jeopardising the vine health through underwatering.  This tells us how much moisture the soil is holding and how quickly it is depleting.

Soil management – Our soils are ancient and therefore fragile. In order to conserve their integrity we sow permanent grasses which are maintained by slashing. Grasses encourage nutrient recycling, organic matter production, and biological activity. In turn this preserves soil texture and protects the soils from compaction, slaking and erosion.

Land conservation – Vineyards are monocultures and can interfere with local ecosystems if they are not properly managed. The vineyard is in fact only a small part of our property for we care for a large and diverse landscape. Our aim is to continually increase the range and habitat of flora and fauna on our property. A significant proportion of our land is native forest and we have added to that habitat by planting ‘nature corridors’ around the property. We are also creating ‘billabongs’ in the riparian zones of the property to enhance our aquatic habitats. Closer to the vineyard we have planted small native flowering plants that attract beneficial insect predators, again increasing the biodiversity of the property and at the same time assisting with pest management.

We have our own Environmental Management System that we are working on and which is in line with industry standards and is recognized at a national level. In the future, this will allow us to participate in the Australian “Entwine” program of accreditation. Entwine Australia is a voluntary environmental assurance scheme.

We have been practising 'Sustainable Production' for 40 years as we believe that sustainable farming principles produce healthier soils, more balanced grapes and better quality wines.  We strongly believe that our responsibility to the land is what matters the most.