Yering Station is proud to announce Sustainable Winegrowing Australia member certification for both our vineyards and our winery. Sustainable Winegrowing Australia is Australia’s national program for grapegrowers and winemakers committed to making sustainable wine.
The voluntary program takes a holistic approach to managing, supporting, and promoting sustainability and is modelled on global best practices and aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with progress towards these monitored annually. Sustainable Winegrowing Australia is a collaboration between The Australian Wine Research Institute, Wine Australia and Australian Grape & Wine.
In Our Vineyards
Drip Irrigation | All five of our sites are drip irrigated which provides us with the most control over water management. Each vine has its own dripper, targeting the base of the vine to ensure minimal wastage.
Soil Testing | We conduct regular soil tests to uncover exactly what our sites are in need of and distributing those specifics accordingly, ensuring no wastage and unlocking full block potential.
Cover Crops | During our dormant period, all our vines are hand pruned. The cane prunings are mulched back into every other mid-row, while the opposite mid-rows are cultivated with clover, barley, vetch and the like. This adds structure, prevents erosion, delivers nitrogen and attracts beneficial insects.
Composting | During vintage, all grape marc is composted over 12-18 months and reapplied under vine. This compost also consists of scraps from our restaurant kitchen and re-cycled cardboard from our cellar door.
Hay | We grow and cut our own hay, which then becomes part of our composting. Its also spread under vine as mulch, keeping moisture in our soils and reducing weed pressure.
In Our Winery
Solar Power | Our winery is now powered by solar, bringing our total solar production area up to 250kW which covers our site’s daylight energy requirements on average.
Conscious Chemistry | We choose cleaning chemistry that is kinder to the environment, removing the need for water intensive rinsing protocols.
Conscious Water Consumption | We use non-potable water for our general washdown, along with water efficient pressure-washers and nozzles.
Cellulose-Based Additives | We choose cellulose-based additives that inhibit tartrate crystallisation, instead of using traditional cold stabilisation which is energy-intensive. This greatly reduces refrigeration demand and electricity consumption.
We acknowledge that we gather on the unceded lands of the Woi Wurrung people here on beautiful Wurundjeri country, where the mighty Birrarung flows and the Ngurraks sing. We pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging as we today place footsteps upon footsteps of those made by thousands of generations of Aboriginal people who have come before us. We also pay respect to the non-indigenous brothers and sisters who gather here today, as we are all on the journey of reconciliation. We must acknowledge the past and work together in the present, so that we can move forward as a united nation.