Vineyard savings from silence of the lambs
"There's got to be a negative visual perception of a bunch of sheep with what look like muzzles on in vineyards."
Justine Tate, Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand
A muzzle, designed to stop sheep from nibbling on vine leaves and grapes, could save vineyards thousands of dollars a year and help reduce their carbon footprint.
But while the concept, called Wine Baa, is being praised for its innovation, its look has drawn some interesting parallels.
An overseas drinks publication has likened Wine Baa to the mask worn by Hannibal Lecter in Silence
of the Lambs, and Kiwi actor Sam Neill seems to agree.
Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand business manager Justine Tate said New Zealand vineyard owners might be interested in trying the Wine Baa, though she had concerns about the look of them.
‘‘I think it’s incredibly innovative, but I would have to wait and see how they are viewed, because there’s got to be a negative visual perception of a bunch of sheep with what look like muzzles on in vineyards,’’ Tate said.
‘‘I don’t know if people could ignore the public perception. There will be tourist perception that we maybe have dangerous sheep in vineyards, so I’m not entirely sure how popular it will be with vineyard owners.’’
The muzzle is a plastic snout guard that attaches to a sheep’s head using a single strap. It is designed to lift up when the sheep puts its head to the ground, and close when the sheep is looking up.
It was invented by Australian social worker David Robertshaw, who believed there had to be a better, more environmentally-friendly, way to control weeds in vineyards.
Robertshaw said Wine Baa could cut costs by A$300 (NZ$321) a hectare, a year, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the use of trackers to mow between the vines.
Tate said vineyard owners were always looking for new ways to control weeds without spraying.
‘‘But this is one of the most innovative things I have seen in that space.’’
Sheep were often used by vineyard owners, but they had to be closely monitored and could only be used at certain times of the year, Tate said.
‘‘What [Wine Baa] would probably mean, is that you could have sheep in there, year-round.’’
The Wine Baa reminded Tate of Peter Yealands’ baby doll sheep, which are so small that they cannot reach the leaves or grapes.
Robertshaw, who came up with the idea two years ago, said he had received pre-orders from New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Australia, Japan, and Mexico.
The first shipment was due within the next two weeks.