From when we bought Barwon Ridge in 1998 Joan and and I were committed to improving the sustainability of the whole property.

Over the years with the help of friends we carried out extensive revegetation and protection of indigenous habitat. As a natural extension to this commitment I undertook the training and auditing necessary for Barwon Ridge to be recognised as a sustainable vineyard.

Barwon Ridge is now a member of Sustainable Winegrowing Australia and was the first vineyard in Geelong to be certified as sustainable under the internationally recognised Freshcare certification.

The process has been an exhaustive but satisfying way to review, quantify and improve whole-farm and particularly vineyard practices as diverse as biosecurity, spray use, energy and water consumption, biodiversity, waste management, record keeping and soil management. Happily I found that I was already meeting many of the requirements while the changes identified through the training will further improve the way Barwon Ridge is managed.

The next step is to keep the process going by maintaining current practices and looking for ways to further improve. There are annual self assessments and a three yearly external audit as part of the quality control process.

Read more about Sustainable Winegrowing Australia.