Angove Family Winemakers
RIVERLAND & MCLAREN VALE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA WINEMAKER: TONY INGLE
At Angove Family Winemakers, we are committed to sustainability across our entire winery operation, including the areas of water, power and waste, organic and biodynamic practices and in our packaging. Our conversion to drip irrigation has resulted in a drop in water consumption by 25 per cent per hectare, and by using rainwater in the winery, we are reducing our reliance on everdwindling river flows. By upgrading our irrigation pumps, we have reduced our power use by 25 per cent, and insulating our tanks and barrel stores has minimised heat loss and energy use.
The installation of a 200kw solar panel system at the winery now covers 50 per cent of peak-time power, while a 30kw system at our McLaren Vale cellar door covers 100 per cent of our power use. We have also been able to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions by almost 30 per cent by converting our winery boilers to LPG. Under-vine mulching of winery waste is returning vital carbon to the soil and waste water is used in a woodlot planted to native species. In the vines, we have converted 180 hectares of organic vineyards in the Riverland and McLaren Vale to organic/biodynamic, and we are working towards converting all 480 hectares to certified organic by 2020. We currently produce 120,000 nine-litre cases of organic wine, with plenty of opportunity for growth. Recycling is also a key focus for us across our operations, from our glass and cardboard, to paper, plastics and label backings. And by introducing light-weight bottles, we have cut our glass use by 40 per cent, also delivering a reduction of carbon dioxide per bottle of more than 15 per cent on some lines. These are just some of the ways in which we are working towards our sustainability goals, which remains a key focus for our entire team.