The vineyard is managed using best-practice techniques. Irrigation is applied in response to vine water requirements, which are monitored using 18 ‘Enviroscan’ probes installed in the ground. Patterns of vine water use can be observed on the Vineyard Managers computer, and irrigation is applied accordingly.
Recently over a quarter of the vineyard (65 hectares) was converted to subsurface irrigation with the expectation of reducing water usage by up to 30%. This involved replacing over 200km of irrigation line. In addition, nearly all the vineyard has been mulched, which also significantly contributes to water savings.
The vineyard has been developed from 13 hectares in 1994 to 239 hectares consisting of 17 varieties, including four Mediterranean varieties: Montepulciano, Tinta Cao, Touriga and Tinta Mole.
In 2002, the Banrock Station vineyard achieved the international environmental management system accreditation, ISO 14001, which implements a systematic approach to setting environmental objectives and targets to improve its overall environmental performance.
