Sustainability 

The team at Mitchelton are dedicated to managing their backyard, acting as custodians of a sustainable and distinct eco-system.  The estate’s influential and ever-present neighbour, the Goulburn River demands a holistic winery and vineyard approach.  Banked by red gums and widening into billabongs, the river is an intrinsic part of a sensitive natural cycle.  

Eco-friendly initiatives include: 

  • Establishing a unique and innovative winery wastewater wetlands system using indigenous native reed species to treat process water for irrigation reuse in the vineyard. This has involvedcommunity engagement through Landcare Victoria, the local Shire Council, schools and Catchment Management Authority. 
  • Recycling and micro-filtration of bottle rinsing water in the winery production line;  
  • Re-vegetating the banks of the Goulburn River with local gums and native grasses; 
  • Incorporating an Environmental Management System (EMS) that monitors all business activities to reduce environmental impacts, improve performance and  decrease risk;
  • Both winery and vineyard are internationally accredited  with ISO 14001 Environmental Standards.
  • The winery and vineyard are members of the Australian Wine Industry new Environmental best practice code, Entwine. 
  • Membership of the National Packaging Covenant that encourages the responsible resourcing of recycled packaging materials from approved suppliers; 
  • Minimization of spray inputs in the vineyard by adopting integrated pest and disease management practices along with zero use of synthetic pesticides in the vineyard for many years. 
  • Use of advance soil moisture monitoring devices to ensure optimum irrigation efficiency. 
  • Composting of winery bi-product waste (grape marc) and stubble straw for re-use as vineyard mulch. 

The Mitchelton team are dedicated to managing their entrusted backyard as custodians of a sustainable and distinct eco-system.

The River

Over time, nature’s climatic forces and the presence of the Goulburn River have shaped the landscape of Mitchelton Estate. Seasonal tributaries, shifting flood-lines and receding watercourses have stamped their presence on the landscape of Mitchelton. The ancestral courses that ebbed and flowed across the property over the last two hundred thousand years have resulted in a complex matrix of soil types that in turn nourish unique and distinct qualities in the vines that prosper on individual blocks.  

The Environment

Mitchelton Estate’s influential and ever-present neighbour, the Goulburn River demands a holistic winery and vineyard approach.  Banked by red gums and widening into billabongs, the river is an intrinsic part of a sensitive natural cycle. The Mitchelton team are dedicated to managing their entrusted backyard as custodians of a sustainable and distinct eco-system. 

The Climate

The Mitchelton Estate meso-climate is like no other. The site has a continental climate which is tempered by the river water mass, producing cooler nights at the end of warm sunny days. The presence of the  Strathbogie Ranges, a spur of the Great Divide, cupping the south-eastern periphery of the region casts a rain-shadow over the Mitchelton vineyard.  The unique conditions nurture the vines, allowing the site to reveal  its magic and consistently produce grapes of intense flavour and wines of supple texture, refinement and elegance.

Banked by red gums and widening into billabongs, the river is an intrinsic part of a sensitive natural cycle.