McLaren Vale winery Hither & Yon‘s wine business and vineyards have achieved certification from Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (SWA).
The certification across both the business and vineyards is a first for the McLaren Vale region and bolsters Hither & Yon’s regenerative agriculture model of farming.
A model which has influenced significant changes to production and packaging in the last twelve months and achieved a further 20 percent reduction in carbon emissions.
“For Hither & Yon, being certified sustainable expresses the tenet of being winegrowers who care for our environment and community first,” Hither & Yon director Malcolm Leask says.
“It is a trust mark for our model of farming and proudly demonstrates our commitment to best practice across the six focus areas of the SWA program.”
SWA 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.
Regenerative agriculture is central to Hither & Yon’s vineyard ethos, a farming method which aims to sequester carbon, maintain soil health and bolster biodiversity; a nature-based solution to help reach net-zero emissions and restore entire ecosystems.
The introduction of livestock cell grazing and diverse cover-crops is building organic matter for living roots all year round and overall less carbon output.
Hither & Yon’s sustainability and environment officer, Kelly Leask, credits the SWA program with driving continuous improvement across the business.
“We believe our sustainability certification helps propel change and continuous improvement across all facets of our business,” Kelly says.
“We are always looking for better ways to combat climate change and lessen our carbon footprint – it’s an important part of our brand DNA.
“Through our SWA certification audit, we learned that the installation of a solar system to offset energy needs of our bore reduced our grid reliance by 57 percent and overall running costs by 93 percent.
“It’s inspiring us to continue on this path, make superior wines, and provide a legacy for future generations of the Leask family and our community.”
Hither and Yon viticulturist and regenerative farming industry-leader, Richard Leask, has seen first-hand the impact of conventional farming practices on soil health and grapegrowing practices, leading him to research and implement sustainable measures including regenerative agriculture methodologies from 2012.
“We stopped herbicide use across all vineyards and started to balance soil nutrition with blended organic compost and multi-species cover-crops, noting the benefits of these changes over time with increased water infiltration during winter leading to decreased irrigation use in spring and early summer,” says Richard.
The team is also devoted to practising biodiversity management on their land, re-establishing non-productive native corridors across all properties.
Climate change appropriate varietal choice, such as Grenache, Tempranillo and Nero d’Avola, is also a major focus of their regenerative farming model.
Hither & Yon’s home vineyards are in the foothills of McLaren Vale, and their boutique cellar door is situated in the village of Willunga.
SWA is a 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.
Hither & Yon is a family-owned winery, with vineyards in the foothills and on the coast of McLaren Vale serving up delicious wines and great conversation at their cosy cellar door in the village of Willunga.
Hither & Yon wine, and all that it stands for, has been meaningfully crafted by the current generation of the Leask family, brothers Richard and Malcolm, along with the passion of their devoted staff. This collective of artisan wines is made from a large variety of grapes grown on the family’s eclectic and sustainable vineyards in McLaren Vale, South Australia. Since the brand’s beginning in 2011, the passionate team behind this wine have embodied the thoughtful principle behind the brand name, ‘here and over there’, in every possible way.
The biodiversity and creativity of the McLaren Vale region, and of Hither & Yon itself, translates across the seas where Hither & Yon’s quality drops are enjoyed and shared among friends in all corners of the globe. Journey with Hither & Yon and share their wines among your food & your friends, whether you’re at hearth & home or hither & yon.
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