McLaren Vale’s Hither & Yon named carbon neutral champions
Hard work and a light environmental footstep make McLaren Vale’s Hither & Yon the first carbon neutral certified wine brand in South Australia.
Food & Wine
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THE siblings behind McLaren Vale’s Hither & Yon wine brand and cellar door have sustainability on the mind.
Third-generation vignerons Malcolm and Richard Leask have been officially recognised for their efforts with carbon-neutral certification.
Hither & Yon is the first wine brand in South Australia, and the third in Australia, to achieve the milestone, as certified by Federal Government’s Climate Active initiative. The aim is to measure, reduce and offset carbon emissions to lessen their impact on the environment.
“It gives us a real purpose every day,” Hither & Yon director Malcolm says.
“For each business action and strategy, we ask ourselves the questions: Is it better for the environment? Is it a lighter footfall? Is it hands off and does it give back?”
The brothers grew up among the vines in McLaren Vale’s foothills and coast. They oversee 77ha of their own vineyards and grazing land for their cattle and sheep.
Richard began to question the way they were farming 15 years ago.
Since establishing the brand in 2011, the brothers embarked on a land-improvement program, practised sustainable viticulture and regenerative agriculture, biodiversity management and the re-establishment of native corridors.
They are also well known for the establishment of new climate-appropriate grape varieties. “We’ve been really pleased and pleasantly surprised that people from all walks of life appreciate this,” Malcolm says.
“I think carbon neutral is less of a science than a lot of people think.”
Ultimately, it is all about being as environmentally conscious as they can. From their product range to business operations and decisions around packaging.
“It’s not a wine trend thing for us. It’s about doing what’s best for nature,” Malcolm says.
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