Increasing numbers of wineries around New Zealand are becoming Certified Sustainable operations. Essentially, complying with certification means they’ve adopted holistic programmes to manage their vineyard and winery practices in order to protect the environment while efficiently and economically producing the best wines they possibly can. But there’s always one kid that likes to build the biggest castle in the sandpit, and that that title surely must go to Peter Yealands of Yealands Estate. Earlier this year, Yealands became the first winery in the world to gain the DQS Green Company GC-Mark for its Seavier winery in Marlborough’s Awatere Valley. To receive this German-based certification a company must succeed in “minimising its negative impact upon the environment” – and that’s something founder Peter Yealands has been single mindedly gunning for since the winery’s inception in 2008.
Yealands is no stranger to world firsts, having also become the first winery in the world to be certified carboNZerocertTM since inception and they’ve adopted sustainability initiatives such as using miniature Babydoll sheep to ‘mow’ the vineyards, large-scale composting, the burning of vine prunings and wind power to generate electricity, and this week Yealands have ramped up their solar power generation to never-seen-before levels.
Peter Yealands and his Marlborough-based team now have the largest solar panel installation in the country. Having just installed 918 photovoltaic panels to bring the total PV panels to 1,314 on its winery roof, the vineyard can now generate 411.12 kiloWatts of solar power. This could essentially power 86 New Zealand homes – while offsetting 82 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
“By increasing our solar array we’ll decrease our reliance on the national grid and generate 30% of the power we require to power our tank coolers, pumps, presses, computers, you name it” says Peter Yealands. “I’ve always been passionate about renewable energy and also about self-reliance. We’ve been carbon neutral since inception but that doesn’t mean we can just sit back. Our new solar panels will further help reduce our carbon emissions and keep us true to our claim of being the most sustainable winery in the world,”
To watch time lapse footage of the solar installation, visit www.yealands.co.nz/solar
Brookfields Hawke’s Bay Bergman Chardonnay 2015 $20 ★★★★
Peter Robertson has owned Brookfields since the 1970’s so he’s seen a thing or two in the evolution of chardonnay. He’s also decided that good, old fashioned creamy, tropical and citrus fruit is what makes it magical. Taking its name from the Bergman roses which sit at the end of every row, this chardonnay is a super-sippable, taut, tangy blend of Ohiti and Meeanee fruit with a sniff of toasty oak and persistent length of flavour. Sip with chicken involtini.
www.brookfieldsvineyards.co.nz
Soho Stella Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 $25 ★★★★★
Wow! How’s this for a passionfruity punch in the face. Lemongrass, basil, and lashings of lime just tornado themselves across the palate, leaving a zingy, perfectly prickly texture in their wake. Winemaker Dave Clouston is an absolute guru when it comes to sourcing and saucing the best sauvignon blanc Marlborough has to offer – so if you’re a sav fan, you’d be advised to get amongst a glass of this pronto!
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Redmetal Vineyards Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015 $20 ★★★½
Intense blueberry and bay leaf aromatics, stacks of peppercorn, cocoa and plummy notes. Warming and velvety in the mouth – plump and saucy yet elegantly poised. Baking spices and smoky, nutty notes on the finish. Give it a few minutes to open up in the glass and you’ll be rewarded for sure.
Crafter’s Union Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 $21 ★★★★½
I love the fact that on the outside the packaging is so whimsical, so extravagant, so wild, yet when you slip the bottle out, the labelling on the bottle is a simple white and silver crest. But it’s what’s inside that bottle that counts, and if you’re craving a hit of nettles, lime, passionfruit, pinprick acidity and hints of white pepper, then this is your poison. Tangy, ultra-fresh and darn delicious.
Available in supermarkets nationwide.
Crafters Union Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2016 $21 ★★★½
Ultra-pretty and bright like a pink diamond in the glass and shows fresh watermelon, light raspberry and soft peppercorn characters in the glass. Here’s a dry, crisp and refined Rosé that’ll have you singing in the summer in seconds flat.
Sip with old fashioned curried sausages – yum!
Available in supermarkets nationwide
