Shaw + Smith is a member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, and is committed to the best possible soil and vine health across our Balhannah, Lenswood, Piccadilly and Lobethal sites.
The healthy soil and vine philosophy currently employs the following:
Our commitment to making the best possible wines means that sustainability is at the centre of everything we do.
Sustainability
This means a biological approach to farming, exploring new technologies for water and energy conservation, and adopting a closed loop approach to packaging recycling.
- No herbicides, synthetic fertilisers and fungicides
- Organic compost-based fertilisers
- Mowing and mechanical weed removal
- Shoot and bunch thinning, and vertical shoot position canopies
- Organic canopy sprays for disease control
- High density planting (5000+ vines per hectare)
- Diverse mid-row swards
- Native vegetation areas within vineyards
- Organic compost-based fertilisers
- Mowing and mechanical weed removal
- Shoot and bunch thinning, and vertical shoot position canopies
- Organic canopy sprays for disease control
- High density planting (5000+ vines per hectare)
- Diverse mid-row swards
- Native vegetation areas within vineyards
Soil + Vine
"Organic practice has been a natural progression over time translating to, at its simplest, healthier and more flavoursome fruit."
Martin Shaw
Our vineyards at Balhannah and Lenswood have both gained organic certification, in 2020 and 2021 respectively. Gaining certification has been a worthwhile exercise, but our main priorities are soil and vine health. It is also important to note that for some wines we buy fruit that is not certified organic, and we share our experience of organic viticulture with our growers.
Increasing biodiversity across our vineyards has played an important role in the transition to organic farming. Specific projects include:
Increasing biodiversity across our vineyards has played an important role in the transition to organic farming. Specific projects include:
- Introduction of chickens for natural pest control and generation of manure, as an alternative to nitrogen fertiliser.
- Onsite worm farm and composting initiatives for the production of nutrient rich, organic vineyard fertiliser.
- A beehive at Balhannah Vineyard, encourages cultivation of new plant and flower species through cross pollination. Helping with the natural replenishment of soil nutrients and , building a health and full ecosystem.
- Onsite worm farm and composting initiatives for the production of nutrient rich, organic vineyard fertiliser.
- A beehive at Balhannah Vineyard, encourages cultivation of new plant and flower species through cross pollination. Helping with the natural replenishment of soil nutrients and , building a health and full ecosystem.
In the pursuit of quality, the wines are fermented, aged and bottled on site at Balhannah. The wines are vibrant, modern expressions of their varieties, their sites and the season.
Significant investment has been made in renewable energy sources in recent years. Most notably, a 2023 solar upgrade which increased our capacity by 300% - eliminating peak electricity demands and reducing our reliance on purchased energy.
Our winery at Balhannah is run entirely on rainwater and a major wastewater upgrade in 2020 allows us to divert all water used onsite to vineyard and lawn irrigation.
Our winery at Balhannah is run entirely on rainwater and a major wastewater upgrade in 2020 allows us to divert all water used onsite to vineyard and lawn irrigation.
Shaw + Smith are members of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) and use their recommendations to inform a closed loop approach to packaging and recycling. We have transitioned to lighter weight, locally produced glass for over 50% of production and aim to be using light weight or recycled packaging across the entire range by 2030.
Read more about our targets and initiatives here.
Read more about our targets and initiatives here.
Next: Vineyards
Learn more about our vineyards across the Adelaide Hills
Sauvignon Blanc vines at Balhannah