Nursery Celebrates First to be Accredited
April 2008  Corbans Viticulture is celebrating its achievement of becoming the first New Zealand grape propagation nursery to be accredited as sustainable by Sustainable Winegrowers New Zealand (SWNZ).
Producing high quality grafted grapevines through sustainable practices is a core element of Corbans Viticulture. In 2007 the company was one of the first grape propagation nurseries to adopt the Grafted Grapevine Standard (GGS).
Dennis Lunken, CEO for Corbans Viticulture comments, “Our company has always been at the forefront of technological innovation in nursery practices through an extensive Research and Development programme, so it was logical that we should become the first viticulture nursery to embrace sustainable nursery practices as part of the Sustainable Winegrowing - programme.”
Being environmentally conscious is nothing new in New Zealand – paticularly in grape growing and winemaking, but what was once labeled a trend will eventually turn into an industry standard. Corbans has also enrolled in the carboNZero programme as part of its commitment to creating a more sustainable business - the first nursery in New Zealand to do so.
Lunken says, “To maintain New Zealand wine industry’s profile as a premium wine producer all sectors of the wine industry must be committed to ‘best practice’. This commitment should not only be from technological standpoint but also include the best possible environmental practices from the nursery to the winery to underpin the country’s ‘clean green’ image.”
Lunken is upbeat about the future image of the New Zealand wine industry “Corbans continues to produce millions of grafted vines that are of the highest possible health, tested free of virus, produced under a sustainable regime and this can only continue to enhance the reputation of the New Zealand wine industry as producers of premium quality wines with environmental integrity”.
Prepared by Corbans Viticulture. For further information, images or interview, please contact Pippa Lekner at the pr shop on (09) 368 1078, 021 500 760 or email pippa@theprshop.co.nz
To contact Dennis Lunken, CEO of Corbans Viticulture direct, please email dennis@corbansviticulture.co.nz or call (09) 416 8635
Notes to Editor
SWNZ is an industry initiative directed by New Zealand Winegrowers, to provide a framework for best viticulture and winemaking practices that protect the environment.
Sustainable Winegrowers New Zealand (SWNZ) programme began in 1995, with 510 vineyards and 64 wineries currently accredited. A further 66 vineyards and seven wineries have joined the programme and will be audited in 2008.
The SWNZ programme key focus is on vineyard and nursery management practices including the use of regular and timely monitoring of pests and diseases, soil and foliar testing to determine agrichemical usage, the recycling of green waste and water, the control of diseases in such a way as to reduce the likelihood of agrichemical resistance and to increase the biodiversity in the soil, plant and animal life in the vineyard.
Corbans and carboNZero
The carboNZero programme is an internationally recognised Greenhouse Gas scheme – commonly referred to as carbon footprinting - for organisations, products, services and events, offering optional mitigation strategies through the provision of credible and verified offsets.
The carboNZero programme is the only New Zealand carbon emissions solution that is based on solid science and able to meet the demands of Emission Trading Schemes, Carbon Disclosure Projects and emerging world’s best practices, the latter being most important to New Zealand exporters.
The carboNZero programme provides robust tools and processes for accurately measuring greenhouse gas emissions or carbon profiles, tracking business performance improvement of these emissions, managing the associated business risk and reduction planning with the highest level of credibility and integrity.
Back to Headlines |
