Destiny Bay is Waiheke Island’s first fully certified Sustainable Vineyard and Winery and a leader in environmentally friendly grape growing and winemaking in New Zealand.

 

Many people are often confused about the differences between organic, sustainable, and biodynamic practices.  So we thought it would be helpful to share a little more information on this topic.

 

Simply put, ‘Sustainable’ grape growing has all the benefits of ‘Organic’ grape growing, but without the potential harmful environmental side effects of Organic/Biodynamic.

 

There is a misperception that ‘Organic’ and ‘Biodynamic’ grapes are ‘spray-free’.  Quite the contrary.  Because organic producers are prohibited from using sprays which improve efficiency, reduce frequency of application, and are designed to safely breakdown into the environment, they often have to apply five times the amount of sprays to prevent mould and fungus growth in the vineyard.   Both Sustainable and Organic/Biodynamic make use of organic sulfur sprays as their primary applicant and Organic sulfur sprays make up >95% of Destiny Bay’s spray program.  However, to achieve a strict Organic certifications many vineyards are limited to primarily using Copper as their (sole) organic fungicide.  As you might be aware, Copper is a heavy metal that is harmful to living organisms and can toxify soils and waterways.  The Sustainable fungicides used by Destiny Bay are widely researched and accepted as safer for the environment without leaving any residues in our grapes and wines*.

 

At Destiny Bay we are committed to ‘Sustainable’ grape growing and winemaking because it protects the environment and makes wines of exceptional purity and flavour. We continuously review and improve all our practices to ensure that we maintain a healthy and balanced ecosystem and reduce our carbon footprint.

 

*Destiny Bay routinely verifies that our practices produce grapes and wines free of residues (including glyphosate) through ISO 9000 / IANZ accredited laboratories.

 

For more information about The Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand program – visit https://www.nzwine.com/en/sustainability/swnz