The New Zealand Wine Company - producer of Grove Mill, Sanctuary and Frog Haven wines - has taken its environmental performance to a new level. It has become the world’s first winemaker to achieve carboNZero® certification – a move that is winning it new international business.

The environmental milestone was achieved after the New Zealand Wine Company set itself a challenge. It wanted to address the impact of greenhouse gas emissions associated with its use of electricity and fossil fuels for the growing, production and distribution of its wines.

Working in partnership with Landcare Research, which administers carboNZero®, the publicly-listed company measured its greenhouse gas emissions and committed to reduce these through regenerating native forests.

The move has attracted high profile and positive international media coverage and has helped boost sales of all its wines in important export markets, says CEO Rob White.

“The publicity and benefits we’ve got from investing in the carbon-neutral process are allowing us to expand our business in an environmentally sustainable manner.”

Sales to UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s have jumped by 120 percent this year. The New Zealand Wine Company has also been asked to produce Sainsbury's house brand. Many other high profile companies have come calling - the company’s now selling Grove Mill wines into Tesco and Waitrose supermarket in the UK and is talking with fast-growing US retailer Wholefoods.

White says the company is extremely proud to have achieved carbon neutral status.

“Over recent years, The New Zealand Wine Company has continuously striven to improve its environmental performance by implementing energy and water conservation measures, and restoring wetland areas.

"Becoming carboNZero® places us at the cutting edge of global sustainability and gives consumers an opportunity to choose a bottle of Grove Mill, Sanctuary or Frog Haven wine in the knowledge that we have minimised our impact on climate change.

"Our aim is to keep ahead of what is being done elsewhere in the world,” says White.

The Grove Mill philosophy to produce great quality wines with minimal environmental impact has driven much of the firm’s infrastructure development over the last 10 years.

The company has embarked on habitat restoration, plastic, glass, metal and paper recycling, organic mulch and fertiliser use, and energy and packaging efficiencies.

These also contributed to Grove Mill achieving Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand accreditation for its environmental commitments in the winery and vineyard.

 

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