Custodianship and sustainability
Built-in to our way of thinking is how we can best maintain the land and our surroundings to the best of our ability.
The principles of guardianship or Kaitiakitanga based on the Māori world view are an important learning for us and as such a driving force at the Estate.
We have a plan to introduce a new sustainability initiative each year we are on the estate and therefore to be better custodians of the land in this special Estate at the Eastern End of Waiheke Island.
Our philosophy is to manage the land responsibly through appropriate and timely estate and vineyard management practices, so that our wines are produced as sustainably as possible. After all, it will help us continue to grow the best premium quality fruit and make outstanding Rosé and Syrah wines.
In the first year we made the Estate completely self-sustainable by installing solar panels. With rain harvested water and on-site water disposal a standard at this end of the Island, adding solar power means we can also give back to the grid when we over produce.
This year, the second managing the estate, we have invested in a robot mower with the aim to reduce the amount of diesel used maintaining the Estate. It is of course charged by the sun and once we have sorted through some of the teething issues, we think it will more than half the amount of fuel used to mow and maintain.
So, what’s next? We are trialling wild flowers at the moment to see if we can entice more wonderful bees to the vineyard and a creeping thyme to see if we can plant under the vines to create a carpet and prevent weed growth, reducing the need to weed.
With just under a hectare under vine, the rest of the seven-hectare Estate is dedicated to native bush and a range of trees, flora and fauna, including this little fella’ who popped out for a stroll around the vineyard last week.
