At "Shining Rock", we are taking steps towards sustainable practices within the vineyard and the winery.  

Water Usage

We have a 20 megalitre dam, (which is fed via the natural catchment area of the vineyard), that we use to water the vines. In drier seasons, we use reclaimed water from the Mount Barker Council to help fulfill our requirements.

By also using soil moisture probes in our vineyard, we can monitor the data and determine the moisture levels in the soil and only water when absolutely necessary, which lowers our overall water usage and reduces wastage.

Waste Management

We strive for minimal waste. Eg. we compost skins and seeds from each vintage and reuse it on the vineyard and surrounding land. 

Energy

In December 2022 we switched to solar power. This enables us to manage our activities to almost completely run off solar energy.

Landcare & Biodiversity

We actively test and analyse our soils, to balance nutrient supplies, to make sure our vines are growing to produce the best quality fruit.

We practice Nutrient Cycling. In Winter, we lease the land to local sheep farmers. The sheep graze on the grass and weeds (therefore, we do less passes in the tractor for grass and weed management) and their manure adds extra nutrients into the soil.

We now also practice under vine mechanical weeding, to reduce herbicide use, with the aim to go completely herbicide free (both organic and synthetic herbicide) in the vineyard by 2024.

We do not use pesticides, as we have a natural balance of pest/prey on the property.