Green Credentials
Brampton
Nature Friendly
Our estate is 1000 Hectare (2500 Acre) in size with most of it (600 Hectare / 1500 Acre) left to nature - in the form of natural vegetation, Eucalyptis & Pine tree forests. We only use roughly 170 Hectares (420 Acres) for vineyards & have roughly 230 Hectares (570 Acres) covered by Pastures for the Jersey herd & buildings / roads. We plant in excess of 2000 trees annually currently to create 'windbreaks' - vineyards are actually little trees & of these we have 550 000.Organic / Biodynamic
We use systemic sprays & have full weather stations to monitor when best to protect the vineyards enabling us to eliminate the use of chemicals. We only spray against fungal/bacterial/insect damage in the vineyard if and when required, these being Systemic & Contact Sprays as governed by the IPW. We are currently drawing up a plan with the Biodiversity in Wine Initiative (BWI) as we are a member of the BWI which works closely with wineries in SA to protect our natural vegetation / open spaces. We also conform to IPW (integrated Production of Wine) which controls all our farming methods to ensure we practise sustainable agriculture.Water Conservation policies
The Western Cape in South Africa is a winter rainfall area and we do have wet years and dry years. Our VITICULT programme helps us to maximise the information we get to ensure we use only the correct amount of water to avoid waste while keeping the vines alive (sustainable). Our natural wetlands are fenced off and managed separately to ensure the protection of certain bird species. Due to the shortage of water we irrigate pastures with our winery waste water, and only irrigate our vines when needed. We use special nozzles which are attached to winery hoses so taps aren't left running. Neutron probes monitor the moisture status of the soil and we only irrigate scientifically according to the requirements of the individual vineyard. We capture most run-off water in 11 dams.Recycling of dry goods
All excess packing material is recycled, i.e. Glass, capsules, labels, cartons. Even broken pallets & wooden bins are collected and either repaired or recycled by the collection companies.Actions to neutralise carbon footprint
We review our use of bottles annually and if lighter glass can guarantee a quality seal it'll be used, otherwise we use our land to plant more trees instead & protect natural forest areas to contribute towards our carbon footprint.Social responsibility
We sponsor a home for the aged, through the NOAH programme. We do 'Aids Training'; Provide lower rung staff's children with subsidies with no strings attached (don't have to work for us); Most of our staff are given subsidised housing on the farm with free water / electricity / milk; We do not mechanize in our vineyards in order to have work available, especially for the jobless local community.