Sustainability
Ethical Winemaking
At Mitre’s Edge Wine Estate we are wholeheartedly committed to green and ethical winemaking – it’s a humble token of our appreciation of our beautiful earth that facilitates and supports our winemaking passion. Taking responsibility for our carbon footprint and ensuring that we contribute to reduced carbon emissions in our industry is an important objective at our estate.
Our farming operations are conducted according to best farming practices, and adhere to The Guidelines for the Integrated Production of Wine (IPW) as far as possible. The IPW system is one of the best, recognised internationally for its monitoring and statistical features from start to finish of the wine production process.
Regenerative Practices
Our irrigation is managed scientifically using Aquacheck probes, which utilise an Aquawave GPRS unit that feeds into the Irricheck Irrigation system server every hour, providing irrigation recommendations every two hours. The resultant report allows us to produce for quality and ensures the efficient use of water.
We are a member of WIETA (Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trading Association) which is a multi-stakeholder, non-profit voluntary organisation which actively promotes ethical trade in the wine industry value chain through training, technical assessment and audits to assess members’ compliance with its code of good practice. Stakeholders include producers, retailers, trade unions, non-governmental organisations and the government.
We recycle all our household and winery waste, and we invested in a 25 KW grid-tied photo voltaic system installed by RenEnergy in July 2013. The first power from this system was generated on 18 August 2013.
What next?
We see our roles on our land not as owners, but stewards entrusted with the care and wise management of land that has and will continue to outlive us. As of 2024 we are bringing in more regenerative farming methods, one being hay mulching.
Implementing hay mulching between vineyard rows aligns well with regenerative farming principles, which aim to restore and enhance the health of the land while also improving the quality of the produce. By using hay mulch, our winery is embracing a sustainable practice that promotes soil health, biodiversity, and resilience in the vineyard ecosystem.
This approach reduces the need for synthetic herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers, thereby minimizing our environmental impact and promoting a more natural balance within the vineyard. The hay mulch serves as a protective layer, reducing soil erosion, retaining moisture, and suppressing weed growth without disturbing the soil structure. As the hay decomposes, it adds organic matter to the soil, enhancing its fertility and promoting beneficial microbial activity. By adopting regenerative farming methods like hay mulching, our winery is not only producing exceptional wines but also contributing to the long-term health and vitality of the land for future generations.