Wineries impress with eco practices

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Nelson's environmentally-friendly wineries were a hit with international wine industry visitors last week.

International wine tourism representatives, journalists and winemakers from France, California, Korea, China, Spain and Germany toured Kaimira Estate WiWWnery and Woollaston Estates Winery as part of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network Wine Discovery 2010 Tour.

Napa County supervisor Keith Caldwell said it was great to see New Zealand winemakers using sustainable and energy-neutral winemaking practices because it was the right thing to do, rather than just for compliance.

He said he was also impressed by their innovation.

"There's some really interesting experimentation going on.

"New Zealand has only been a meaningful wine region for about 30 years, so you're still trying out things like varietals, as well as things like alternative fuels, solar power, and ways to lower water usage.

"It's pioneering right in our lifetime so that's really exciting."

Woollaston Estates director Philip Woollaston said Woollaston Estates achieved full BioGro organic certification this year, and has been using bio-organic processes for four years.

"We observed the best wines in the world were produced in bio-dynamic vineyards, so we decided to go down that route – not just because customers are becoming more interested in organics. And it fits with our policy of not putting chemicals into the environment, so it's a win-win."

Kaimira Estate co-owner Ian Miller said a lot of useful information was shared, particularly around carbon-zero work practices.

Vineyard operators from Bordeaux, France, would soon be sharing data on tractor hours and fuel usage with Kaimira to enable international benchmarking.

"We'll be able to get a much better handle on our efficiency."

Kaimira Estate is about halfway through the three-year BioGro organic certification process.

"Internationally, organic wine is definitely starting to gain favour. People recognise that if you can look after the land, it's going to be a lot more useful for years to come."

Mr Miller said close to 80 per cent of all vineyard land in New Zealand was run under the Sustainable Winegrowing programme. "It's not just about the environment – it's good for the bottom line too.

"By being more attentive to your vineyards, you can save money, and that's a pretty good thing in the current climate."

The South Island is the newest member of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network which encourages travel, education and business exchange between nine international wine regions.