Leading the way in sustainable viticulture
Environmentally Aware
Sustainability focused
The team takes its environmental responsibilities seriously. The sustainable viticulture philosophy starts in the vineyard and extends through to all winery and waste management practices.
Cape Mentelle is accredited under the Winemakers Federation of Australia’s Entwine program. Cape Mentelle was only the fifth winery in Australia to receive the certification and the first in Western Australia. The program was designed to show the trade and consumers that their chosen wine has been produced by a winery that maintains a high standard of environmental practice and has shown a history of improving environmental practices. The accreditation process is extensive and requires thorough audits of all aspects of the winery’s operation.
Initiatives include:
- the use of natural fertilisers
- seeding of cover crops between the vines to produce nitrogen and organic matter
- free-range guinea fowl (weevil catchers)
- undervine mowing and cultivation to control weeds and weevils
- winery waste and grape marc composted and reused on vineyards
- treatment and recycling of wastewater on-site by filtering through reed beds to protect wetlands and aquifers
- grazing sheep on weeds/grass in the vineyards during winter to minimise mowing and use of herbicides
