Wine - the organic way
Over the years various studies have shown wine in moderation can actually be good for us. But a South Island grape grower is not content for his produce to just be good for you - he wants to make a glass of wine a completely natural experience.
Amongst his overgrowth you will find mushrooms, asparagus, raspberries and the vines which produced New Zealand's first certified organic sauvignon blanc and pinot noir.
It is all a bit wild, and that is exactly how Lars Jensen likes it.
"To a conventional grape grower this would look quite uncontrolled and quite scary," he says. "There's growth everywhere and it's out of control.
And to a certain extent Richmond Plains is uncontrolled. In the organic world success often comes down to what you don't do.
"You don't use synthetic chemicals or pesticides, fungicides, herbicides."
The Nelson vineyard's been organic since it began in 1991, when organic was far from fashionable.
"Back then people probably considered you a bit of a fruit loop if you were doing anything, let alone making organic wine," says Mr Jensen.
But being fruity suits this boutique vineyard. There are 27 different species of plants within arm's reach at any given spot.
Biodiversity is key, making this a five-hectare haven for plants and insects.
"We try and go for a balance in the vineyard, so we don't spray for those insects," says Mr Jensen. "We just allow things to work in harmony so one insect will eat another, and it's nature's way of keeping things in balance."
While experts say organic and non-organic wine tastes the same, over the past decade the demand for organic wine has grown.
"If you can make your wine organically, obviously you're showing more care and attention toward the environment so sure there's a lot of growth towards that," says wine judge Raymond Chan.
His vineyard's eco-conscience extends beyond the vines. It produces around 40,000 bottles of wine a year and exports to 10 countries. To minimise its environmental impact, bottles are made from mostly recycled glass and weigh less when they are full than some bottles do empty.
When you are producing carbon negative grapes, for certified organic wine aiming to be in balance with the environment, it pays to stick to Mother Nature's rules.