Cape Mentelle - Margaret River (WA)

Cape Mentelle in Margaret River (WA) is taking full advantage of its Entwine membership. Spurred on by Entwine Australia membership requirements around energy efficiency and carbon footprint monitoring, an extensive winery energy use audit was conducted of all plant, machinery and processes to measure energy use and identify areas for significant energy savings.

The outcome has resulted in a plan to change practices, reduce energy consumption and provide a framework for maintenance and capital investment to maximise energy efficiencies in the winery. This will yield environmental benefits, reduce Cape Mentelle's carbon footprint and provide financial gains as well.

After less than a year, energy use has fallen by 17% (amounting to a cost saving of around $30,000 off the energy bill), with an expectation to make further savings over time.

Similar achievements have been made in the vineyard operations, with funding secured for fencing a sensitive stream bank to protect native vegetation when sheep are grazed in the vineyard over winter at the Chapman Brook Vineyard, thanks largely to the efforts of former chief viticulturalist at Cape Mentelle, Jim White.

Evan Thompson, Cape Mentelle Winery Operations Winemaker.

Also see this interview with Jim White: www.winebiz.com.au/features/?VIEW=99

Rosenzweig Vineyards - Barossa Valley (SA)

The Rosenzweig family, which owns and manages around 90ha of vineyard in the Barossa Valley, became aware of Entwine through initial pilot workshops that were conducted before the program got underway. The family decided to get involved as it recognised the increasing pressure for the industry to substantiate environmental claims within the market place. James Rosenzweig provided the following thoughts.

“Growers are the start of the wine value chain. We were a little worried that becoming involved would add to our workload and have a large cost. However, help was provided by our winemaker in the form of group training, organising a government subsidy (FarmReady) to cover the training cost and a free on site visit to check how we were going before our audit date. This onsite visit was the most value and I recommend it being done in a timely manner after training because it ended up ticking all the boxes I had not completed. The visit went through every part of the program in detail and demonstrated that we were already almost compliant with the certification code.

“I would say that most growers with a good management system would also not be far from compliance with the requirements. It is simply a matter of recording the good environmental practices that most Australian wine grape growers practice every day. Entwine puts your good work on paper for all to see.”

James Rosenzweig, Rosenzweig Vineyards.

Langhorne Creek (SA)

The Langhorne Creek Wine Industry Council has been a strong advocate for Entwine Australia, and 15 local growers participated in the pilot. Executive officer Lian Jaensch provided the following feedback

Why did Langhorne Creek decide to be involved?

Many growers in Langhorne Creek have participated in the local EMS program to provide orderly management of environmental activities as part of best management practices for their enterprises and to provide evidence of their environmental credentials.

With the introduction of Entwine Australia, the opportunity presents to work with a system that will provide accreditation and which will be recognised nationally and internationally. Given the environmental activities in our region we also felt we could contribute to and inform the development of EntWine Australia and the pilot was a great opportunity to do this.

How important is it for Entwine Australia to be picked up by regional associations in order to ensure greater integrated management?

The most effective environmental/sustainability activity is where work is conducted on a "catchment" or regional scale. Langhorne Creek growers, through the Langhorne Creek Wine Industry Council and Langhorne Creek Wine Grapegrowers' Association, have worked towards regional environmental, biodiversity and climate change objectives. The group has involved and called on resources from the local SA Murray Darling Basin NRM Board, the Goolwa to Wellington Local Action Planning Board and the Angas Bremer Water Management Committee.

Additional to the EMS activity has been Biodiversity Planning and Climate Change Risk Management Planning. It is hoped that the major wine companies, who advise that they will be introducing Entwine Australia to their growers, will work with regional associations, boards and committees.

What was the reaction of the people involved with the pilot?

Generally they accepted it as a manageable system which would provide them with a recognisable certification. Some felt it was not very demanding. Many may include a level of risk management to complement the program, something which has been an integral part of the local Langhorne Creek EMS program.