Haere Ra 2023: Awatere Valley
Foley Wine’s chief Marlborough winemaker Stu Marfell grew up on a farm in the Awatere Valley, and has seen the area transformed by grapes over the past 40 years. The Marlborough Wine Show Judge explores the Awatere.
Yealands Wine Group has launched an award-winning 30-year Biodiversity Plan, which will see around 270 hectares planted in natives at its vineyard in Marlborough's Awatere Valley.
More than a million native trees are to be planted in order to improve water quality and protect and enhance sensitive natural areas.
The company won two golds at the 2022 International Green Apple Awards for the Biodiversity Plan, topping the Regeneration and Carbon Reduction categories.
The awards are run by global non-profit The Green Organisation to recognise environmental best practice around the world.
"When we launched, we had an ambition to become a world leader in sustainable wine production," says Michael Wentworth, General Manager Sustainability and Strategic Projects at Yealands. "We believe creating a more biodiverse environment makes for a healthier, more resilient vineyard - one that's also more resilient to climate change."
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