Our Environment
Sidewood Estates Winery and Vineyards are Certified by Sustainable Winegrowing Australia
Sustainability And Our
Love Of Craft
Sustainability and a concern for the environment are high priorities for everyone at Sidewood Estate. Their livelihood depends on preserving their environment and keeping soil quality at its highest. Adapting to changes in climate and future-proofing the land are all part of Sidewood’s agenda.
Sidewood has prioritised sustainability and environmentally responsible practices throughout the business, which has earned them the Sustainable Winegrowing Australia Accreditation for each vineyard and winery. This makes Sidewood one of the largest Certified Sustainable wineries and producers in the Adelaide Hills.
The accreditation is through Sustainable Winegrowing Australia, which is Australia’s national program for grapegrowers and winemakers to demonstrate and continuously improve their sustainability in the vineyard and winery through the environmental, social and economic aspects of their businesses. This reflects Sidewood’s dedication and commitment to sustainable practices across the entire vineyard portfolio.
Some of the ways Sidewood Estate is caring for the environment:
SHEEP
Running sheep through the vineyard over the Autumn / Winter maintains pasture, removes hard to kill weeds and returns organic fertiliser back to the vineyard. This also reduces chemical input, machinery operations and labour to manage these areas over the winter months.
IRRIGATION PRACTICES
Our advanced monitoring and timing systems ensure we save water where it’s most needed.
PERMANENT PASTURES
Maintaining permanent pastures for increased insect biodiversity.
CHEMICAL SELECTION
Continually changing products and using softer products that have minimal / no effect on the environment.
CANOPY MANAGEMENT
Mulching back into the vineyard after pruning.
FERTILISER SELECTIONS
Organic/natural products vs synthetics and manufactured products.
Solar Energy Project
With the support the Government of South Australia’s Regional Development Fund through Primary Industries and Regions SA, Sidewood also switched to solar energy in 2016 at their Nairne Winery saving 2,214 MT of carbon emissions over the lifetime of the system (15 years). The solar system provides 50% of the facility’s annual consumption.
Becoming solar powered is part of a $3.5m expansion project at Sidewood’s Nairne Winery.